President Donald Trump posted on Truth Social on Thursday that Iran had cancelled more than 800 executions that were scheduled to take place.

He wrote: “I greatly respect the fact that all scheduled hangings, which were to take place yesterday (over 800 of them), have been cancelled by the leadership of Iran. Thank you!”

According to local media, Iranian cleric Ayatollah Ahmad Khatami said on Friday that protesters in Tehran should face execution.

President Donald Trump has consistently voiced support for demonstrators and criticised Iranian authorities over their response to the unrest, which began on 28 December in Tehran following the sharp depreciation of the rial and worsening economic conditions. Protests have since spread to multiple cities.

Trump had previously indicated that military action remained a possible option but said the likelihood of a strike decreased after learning that planned executions of protesters had been cancelled. Later on Friday, he told reporters that the decision not to launch a strike was entirely his own. “Nobody convinced me. I convinced myself,” he said when asked if Arab or Israeli leaders influenced him. He added: “You had, yesterday, scheduled over 800 hangings. They didn’t hang anyone. They cancelled the hangings. That had a big impact.”

The unrest reflects deepening economic and social grievances, including high inflation and declining living standards. Demonstrators have called for political reform and greater freedoms, while security forces have employed harsh measures, including lethal force and mass detentions.

Although the suspension of executions offers a temporary reprieve, broader political tensions remain, leaving Iran’s future uncertain.

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