Trump Claims Halt to Killings in Iran Amid Ongoing Protests
Trump's Statement on Iran Protests
On Wednesday, President Donald Trump announced that he had received information indicating that the violence against protesters in Iran had ceased, asserting that there was “no plan” for executions.
During a press briefing at the White House, Trump stated he had been informed “on good authority” that the killings had stopped, although he did not disclose the sources of this information, referring to them only as significant contacts “on the other side.”
He mentioned that he would verify the accuracy of this information later and indicated that the United States would monitor the situation before taking any further steps.
President Trump: "We've been told that the killing in Iran is stopping, it's stopped, it's stopping. There's no plan for executions..." pic.twitter.com/DQDKS8XZdA
— CSPAN (@cspan) January 14, 2026
Trump's remarks came shortly before Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi appeared on Fox News, stating that there was “no plan” to execute anyone in response to the ongoing anti-government protests.
Araqchi firmly declared, “Hanging is out of the question,” when questioned about the government's crackdown on demonstrators.
Just a day prior, Trump had encouraged Iranian protesters, assuring them that assistance was forthcoming and warning Tehran of potential “strong action” regarding the situation.
The United Nations Security Council is scheduled to convene on Thursday at the request of the United States to deliberate on the Iranian crisis.
Iran has been experiencing significant unrest for over two weeks, with reports indicating that approximately 2,000 individuals, including security forces, have lost their lives during the protests.
Initially sparked by dissatisfaction over rising inflation, the protests have since broadened, with demonstrators in over 100 cities calling for an end to clerical governance.
Iranian authorities have accused the United States and Israel of instigating the unrest.
On January 8, the Iranian government cut off internet and telephone services, effectively isolating the country from the outside world.
While restrictions were relaxed on Tuesday, text messaging services remained unavailable, and internet access was limited to government-sanctioned websites.