Iran Halts 800 Executions After Trump Warning, White House Confirms

Iran has halted plans to carry out around 800 executions following a direct warning from Donald Trump, the White House confirmed on Thursday, amid intensifying international pressure over Tehran’s violent crackdown on nationwide anti-government protests.

White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said the Trump administration delivered a clear message to Iranian officials, linking the planned executions to what Washington described as systematic and violent repression of protesters across the country. According to the administration, the executions were scheduled to take place earlier this week but were halted after US intervention.

“The president understands today that 800 executions that were scheduled and supposed to take place yesterday were halted,” Leavitt told reporters during a press briefing. She added that while diplomatic pressure had yielded results, “all options remain on the table”, signalling that military action has not been ruled out if the situation deteriorates further.

The White House confirmation came just hours after the US announced fresh sanctions on five Iranian officials, accusing them of playing a key role in orchestrating the violent suppression of protests. The administration has also begun tracking alleged overseas financial transfers linked to senior Iranian figures, a move aimed at tightening economic and personal pressure on Tehran’s leadership.

According to human rights organisations, more than 2,600 people have been killed since protests erupted across Iran late last month. What began as demonstrations over economic hardship and a collapsing currency has rapidly evolved into one of the most serious challenges to Iran’s ruling establishment in decades.

Leavitt said Trump had warned Tehran of “grave consequences” if executions or protest-related killings continued. She added that the president had received assurances from Iranian officials that both executions and killings connected to the unrest would stop.

Trump himself echoed this message earlier, saying he had been informed that executions linked to the protests were no longer being carried out. Speaking to reporters in Washington, he said, “The executions have stopped and not going to have an execution, which a lot of people were talking about for the last couple of days.”

The issue gained international attention following reports about Erfan Soltani, a 26-year-old Iranian protester who was believed to be facing imminent execution after being detained less than a week earlier. Soltani’s family later said the execution had been postponed, while Iranian state broadcaster IRIB claimed he had not been sentenced to death.

Iran has publicly rejected claims that it planned mass executions in connection with the protests. Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi denied reports that hangings were being considered, calling such punishment “out of the question” during an interview with Fox News. Hanging has historically been one of the methods used for executions in Iran, adding weight to international concern.

Despite Tehran’s denials, Washington has maintained that its pressure campaign played a decisive role in stopping the executions. The Trump administration says it continues to monitor developments closely as protests persist and Iran remains under intense global scrutiny.