US President Donald Trump said he had been told that killings in Iran’s crackdown on protests were easing and that he believed there was no current plan for large-scale executions, adopting a wait-and-see posture after earlier threatening intervention.
After Iran’s foreign minister said Iran had “no plan” to hang people, Iranian state media reported that a 26-year-old man arrested during protests in Karaj would not face the death penalty. Rights organization Hengaw, which had reported earlier that Erfan Soltani was due to be executed on Wednesday, said a previous execution order had been postponed, citing relatives.
In a social media post, Trump called the news “good” and said “hopefully, it will continue!” Iranian state media said Soltani was charged with colluding against internal security and propaganda against the regime, which does not carry the death penalty.
Trump’s comments on Wednesday led oil prices to retreat from multi-month highs, and gold eased from a record peak. Trump has repeatedly threatened to intervene on behalf of protesters in Iran, where authorities have cracked down hard on nationwide unrest since Dec. 28.
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Protests appear to abate
People inside Iran told Reuters that protests appear to have abated since Monday. Information flows have been hampered by a week-long internet blackout. Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said the government was trying to address economic issues that spurred the protests, including corruption and foreign exchange rates, to improve purchasing power for poorer people.
Tensions escalated Wednesday, with Iran warning it could hit American bases in the region if the US strikes, while a US official said some personnel were being withdrawn. Trump said killings were subsiding, citing “very important sources on the other side,” but did not rule out US military action.
Cars drive under a banner that reads “This is not a protest” in Tehran on January 15, 2026.PHOTO:AFP
Paul Salem, senior fellow at the Middle East Institute, said Trump remains unpredictable. “The Iranian government is at a strategic dead end, but not at immediate risk of collapse or regime change,” he added.
Trump also expressed uncertainty over whether opposition figure Reza Pahlavi could gain support in Iran, saying it was possible the government could fall, but “any regime can fail.”
Turkey expressed opposition to violence, with Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan prioritizing stability. Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan discussed regional security with Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi. US security at Al Udeid air base in Qatar has been lowered after heightened alerts; aircraft are gradually returning.
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G7 condemns repression
HRANA reports 2,435 protesters and 153 government-affiliated individuals have died in unrest that began over rising prices. Iranian authorities accuse foreign enemies of fomenting unrest. Intelligence ministry urged reporting of suspicious activities. G7 countries condemned Iran’s repression and said they were prepared to impose additional restrictions if crackdowns continue.
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