&imwidth=800&imheight=600&format=webp&quality=medium "‘I greatly respect the fact...’: Did Trump just ‘thank’ Iranian leadership for cancelling executions?")
In an unusual move, US President Donald Trump on Friday (Jan 16) thanked the Iranian government for not following through on the execution of hundreds of political prisoners. This comes a day after the White House said that Iran halted executions under pressure from the US president over its crackdown against nationwide protests. Meanwhile, the Trump administration has refused to rule out a possible military intervention in the Islamic Republic.
“Iran cancelled the hanging of over 800 people,” Trump claimed as he spoke to reporters at the White House before leaving for Florida.
In a post on his Truth Social, Trump said that he “greatly respects” that all scheduled hangings have been cancelled. He also thanked the leadership of Iran.
“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!” he wrote.
The appreciation came despite Trump’s repeated threats of military action in Iran if its government triggered mass killings during widespread protests across the country that have quieted now.
Hundreds have been killed amid demonstrations that started weeks ago over the rising cost of living in the country.
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“The president understands today that 800 executions that were scheduled and supposed to take place yesterday were halted,” Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt told reporters on Thursday (Jan 15).
“All options remain on the table for the president,” she said, adding that Trump had warned Tehran of “grave consequences” if the killing of protesters continued.
Trump earlier said that he received assurance from “very important sources on the other side” that Iran would not go ahead with the executions.
On Thursday, a senior Saudi official told AFP that Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and Oman led efforts to talk Trump out of an attack on Iran, fearing “grave blowbacks in the region.”
The Gulf nations “led a long, frantic, diplomatic last-minute effort to convince President Trump to give Iran a chance to show good intention,” the official said.
