Trump Says He Was Told Iran's Executions Are Off

President Trump told reporters Wednesday that he's been informed that lethal repression of anti-government protests in Iran has halted and that planned executions will not go forward. Speaking in the Oval Office, Trump said he was briefed by "very important sources on the other side," who told him that "the killing in Iran is stopping, it has stopped, it's stopping," and that "there's no plan for executions." Indicating his administration had not independently verified the information, CBS News reports, he added, "We'll find out about it." There were conflicting messages from Iranian officials.

The president's comments came a day after he said the US would take "very strong action" against Tehran if it carried out executions of detained protesters. Trump was noncommittal Wednesday when asked if his latest statement meant he was no longer considering a military response, per the Washington Post. The US has advised certain personnel at an American military base in Qatar to evacuate, per the AP, and the chief of the Iranian judiciary hours before Trump's comments said the government must act quickly to punish the thousands who have been detained, including by fast-tracking executions.

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi sought to tone down the rhetoric, urging the US to seek a solution through negotiation. Asked by Fox News what he would say to Trump, Araghchi said: "My message is: Between war and diplomacy, diplomacy is a better way, although we don't have any positive experience from the United States. But still diplomacy is much better than war."