US President Donald Trump made a statement from the Oval Office on Wednesday afternoon, which caused a stir in the world of international politics and human rights. Trump claimed that he had received information from reliable sources that killings and executions in Iran had been halted.
During a bill signing ceremony in the Oval Office, Trump said, “We have been told that the killings in Iran have stopped. The process has stopped and there are no plans to execute or execute anyone. I have this information from reliable sources. We will confirm that.”
This announcement comes at a time when the eyes of the world are focused on Iran. In recent weeks, there have been large-scale protests against the rule of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei in Iran. During these demonstrations, there were reports that thousands of people were killed in the action of the security forces.
Trump said he received the information from “very important sources on the other side,” but did not disclose the sources or the details. He said in clear words,
“The killings have stopped and there will be no execution.”
When asked if the option for military action against Iran had been exhausted after this new development, Trump replied, “We’ll see what the next process is. But we’ve gotten very good statements from people who know what’s really going on there.”
According to human rights organizations, the situation during the recent protests in Iran has been extremely serious. The US-based Human Rights Activists News Agency claimed that those killed so far include 1,847 protesters and 135 members of the Iranian security forces. At the same time, some other reports put the death toll at over 3,000.
Meanwhile, an Associated Press report said Iran’s judiciary had signaled speedy trials for the arrested protesters. The move raised fears among human rights groups that many could face harsh punishments, even executions.
Referring to this suspicion in his statement, Trump said, “For the past few days, many people have been saying that today is going to be the day of the execution. But I have just received information that the execution has been stopped.”