The United States has claimed that Iran halted 800 planned executions following pressure from President Donald Trump over Tehran’s crackdown on nationwide protests, even as Washington reiterated that military action remains an option.
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt told reporters on Thursday that the president had been informed that the executions scheduled for the previous day were stopped. “All options remain on the table for the president,” she said, adding that Trump had warned Iran of “grave consequences” if the killing of demonstrators continued. The White House also said President Trump is closely monitoring the situation on the ground in Iran, according to Reuters.
Earlier, Trump said intermediaries from Iran had conveyed assurances that executions would be halted. He claimed the guarantees came from “very important sources on the other side,” even as regional allies voiced growing concern that escalating tensions could lead to a direct confrontation.
Diplomatic efforts in the Gulf have also intensified. A senior Saudi official told AFP that Saudi Arabia, Qatar and Oman launched an urgent diplomatic push to restrain Washington, warning of potential “grave blowback in the region.” The official said the three countries undertook what he described as a “long, frantic, last-minute effort” to persuade Trump to give Iran time to demonstrate good faith. A second Gulf official confirmed the outreach, adding that Tehran had also been warned that any attack on US facilities in the region would “have consequences.”
The developments come as Iranian authorities continue a nationwide internet shutdown, now in its seventh day, which activists fear is intended to hide the scale of the crackdown. Internet monitoring group NetBlocks said Iran had fallen into “digital darkness” after authorities imposed a national blackout, AFP reported.
Meanwhile, the US announced a fresh round of sanctions targeting Iranian officials accused of repressing the protests. Those sanctioned include the secretary of Iran’s Supreme Council for National Security, whom the US Treasury Department accuses of being among the first officials to call for violence against demonstrators.
The Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control also designated 18 individuals and companies allegedly involved in laundering proceeds from Iranian oil sales through a shadow banking network linked to sanctioned institutions, including Bank Melli and Shahr Bank. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said the United States “stands firmly behind the Iranian people in their call for freedom and justice” and would “use every tool” to target those responsible for human rights abuses.
Protests erupted on December 28 after the collapse of Iran’s rial currency, amid mounting economic pressure from international sanctions imposed partly over Tehran’s nuclear programme. Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi offered a contrasting account in an interview with Fox News, saying demonstrations began peacefully and that the government initially engaged with protesters. He claimed that after about 10 days, “terrorist elements led from outside the country” infiltrated the protests, turning them violent.
In February, Trump reimposed a “maximum pressure” campaign against Iran aimed at blocking its development of nuclear weapons, including US-led strikes on three major enrichment facilities.
While the threat of US retaliation over the deaths of protesters remains, Trump has also hinted at possible de-escalation, suggesting that the killings appear to be slowing.
The latest sanctions prohibit the targeted individuals and entities from accessing assets held in the United States and bar US citizens and companies from doing business with them. US officials acknowledge the measures are largely symbolic, as many of those sanctioned hold little or no assets within US jurisdiction.
