Iran Halts Executions of 800; Trump Offers Rare Thanks | WPN World People News

Tensions between Iran and the United States have temporarily eased after U.S. President Donald Trump said on the 16th that he welcomed Iran’s decision to cancel the execution of more than 800 people. In a post on social media, Trump thanked Tehran for the move, saying it had a “very significant impact” on his decision-making. He stressed that his decision to hold off on attacking Iran was not the result of persuasion by allies, but rather a conclusion he reached on his own. A White House spokesperson, however, underscored that in response to Iran’s various threats, the United States continues to keep “all options on the table.”

Over the past three weeks, Iran has been gripped by nationwide protests, followed by a sweeping government crackdown. At least several thousand demonstrators are reported to have been killed across the country. Trump had repeatedly warned that if the Iranian regime continued killing protesters, the United States would launch military strikes against Iran. He had earlier urged the Iranian people to keep resisting, saying that “help is on the way.”

Not long afterward, however, Trump abruptly shifted his tone, saying he had been informed by the Iranian government that the killing of protesters had stopped. The streets of the capital, Tehran, also appeared to be gradually returning to calm.

Despite the lull, the war of words between the two sides has continued. Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei accused Trump on social media of being responsible for the violence and unrest inside Iran. In response, Trump told Politico in an interview on the 17th: “It’s time to find new leadership for Iran.”

Trump went on to condemn Khamenei’s system of governance in harsher terms, saying: “This man is sick. He should govern his own country properly and stop killing his people. Because of terrible leadership, that country has become one of the worst places in the world to live.”

Observers speculate that Trump called off military action against Iran after consultations with U.S. allies in the Middle East and Israel, and amid concerns over how to stabilize the situation should the Iranian regime collapse, in order to prevent wider chaos in the region. Even so, the United States continues to deploy additional military forces and equipment to the area, and the risk of conflict remains.