Trump: Iran Tells Him ‘Killing Has Stopped’ Steps Back from Strikes

Donald Trump has said he has been told that “the killing in Iran has stopped”, signalling a partial retreat from earlier threats of US military action, while making clear that force remains an option if Tehran resumes a violent crackdown on protesters.

Killing Has Stopped

Human rights groups say more than 2,400 people have been killed since Iranian authorities moved to suppress nationwide demonstrations, which began late last year after the collapse of the country’s currency and quickly escalated into a broader challenge to clerical rule.

Speaking at the White House on Wednesday, Trump said his administration had received assurances “on good authority” that lethal force against protesters had ceased and that executions were no longer planned. He did not identify his sources and acknowledged the claims had yet to be independently verified.

The comments came as the US and UK quietly reduced personnel at the Al Udeid air base in Qatar. Officials told CBS, the BBC’s US partner, that the partial withdrawal was a precautionary measure. Around the same time, Iran closed its airspace to almost all flights for several hours overnight, prompting airlines to reroute services away from the country.

The UK Foreign Office also announced the temporary closure of the British embassy in Tehran, with operations moving to a remote footing. The US mission to Saudi Arabia advised staff and citizens to exercise increased caution and limit non essential travel to military sites across the region.

Trump had warned earlier in the week that Washington would take “very strong action” if Iran carried out executions of detained protesters. Those warnings followed reports that a 26 year old clothes shop owner, Erfan Soltani, had been sentenced to death after his arrest during the height of the demonstrations.

Soltani was expected to be executed on Wednesday, according to his family, who spoke to BBC Persian. They later told the Norway based Kurdish rights group Hengaw that the execution had been postponed. Iranian state media subsequently said Soltani had been arrested in connection with protests but denied he had received a death sentence.

Asked to explain his remarks, Trump said “very important sources on the other side” had told him the killing had stopped and that there were no plans for executions. “We’re going to find out,” he added, saying he hoped the information proved accurate.

Iranian authorities have provided little detail to Soltani’s family beyond confirming his arrest. He was detained last week in Fardis, west of Tehran.

Iran’s foreign minister, Abbas Araghchi, said executions were not planned, insisting that “hanging is out of the question”. In an interview with Fox News, he warned Trump not to repeat what he described as past mistakes, referring to US air strikes on Iranian nuclear facilities in June 2025.

Initial protests over soaring prices began in late December but rapidly evolved into a crisis of legitimacy for Iran’s leadership. As unrest spread, Tehran imposed an internet blackout that has now entered its second week, severely restricting communications inside the country.

Before Trump’s statement, Iran shut its airspace early on Thursday, and airlines including Lufthansa said they would avoid Iranian and Iraqi skies until further notice. Some US personnel were advised to leave military bases in Qatar and Kuwait, while the US embassy in Saudi Arabia urged caution.

A senior Iranian official said Tehran had warned neighbouring countries hosting US bases that they would be targeted if Washington launched an attack. In June, Iran carried out a largely symbolic strike on the Al Udeid base after US forces bombed nuclear enrichment sites.

Read More: Iranians in Northern Ireland Cut Off: “How Can You Survive Without Food?

Despite Trump’s more cautious tone, he did not rule out military action. Asked whether strikes were off the table, he said the US would “watch it and see what the process is”.

In a separate interview with Reuters, Trump said the protests could still threaten the survival of the regime that has ruled Iran since 1979, though he expressed doubts about the prospects of exiled opposition figure Reza Pahlavi emerging as a unifying leader.

The president’s comments eased immediate market fears. Oil prices fell about three percent, while gold and silver also dipped, reversing recent gains driven by concerns of wider conflict.

The UN Security Council is due to meet for a briefing on the situation in Iran, while foreign ministers from the G7 said they were prepared to impose additional measures if Tehran continued to use violence, arbitrary detention and intimidation against protesters.

Preparations for potential US action have continued behind the scenes. According to NBC News, Pentagon officials have drawn up a range of options tailored to the president’s objectives, underscoring that while rhetoric has softened, the standoff remains unresolved.