United States President Donald Trump says the killing of anti-government protesters in Iran has stopped, signaling a more measured approach to the crisis after threatening an attack. Iran In response to a crackdown on protesters.
Trump told reporters on Wednesday that he had been told that the killing of protesters in Iran had stopped and that the execution plan had been halted, hours after the US began withdrawing some personnel from an airbase in Qatar amid growing fears of a US-Iran conflict.
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Asked by reporters in Washington, DC, who had told him the killings had stopped, Trump described them as “a very important source on the other side.”
Trump also said he would “watch” how the crisis in Iran develops, suggesting that while he did not rule out possible US military action, he would adopt a wait-and-see approach.
“We will see what the process is”, he said, before noting that the US administration had received a “very good statement” from Iran.
Reporting from Washington, DC, Al Jazeera’s Mike Hanna said the president’s comments on Wednesday signaled a softening of his tone on Iran.
“It looks like he’s still weighing options; he’s been briefed by his National Security Council, but these statements we’ve heard recently signal a possible cooling of the situation and a move away from President Trump’s threats to take further action,” he said.
Sina Tosi, a senior non-resident fellow at the Center for International Policy, told Al Jazeera that Trump’s claim that he has received information indicating that the killings in Iran have stopped is, on the surface, a “face-saving way” to avoid military intervention, although he does not completely rule out such a conflict.
“It’s hard to take what Trump says seriously, but we know he was loathe to get into a big, open military conflict, and that threat with Iran was on the table,” Tosi told Al Jazeera.
“This comment today suggests he’s looking for a face-saving path, but I wouldn’t rule it out 100 percent,” he said, noting Trump’s track record of negotiating with Iran while also threatening military action.
Trump has previously threatened Iran with military strikes to pressure Tehran to align more with US demands, and said last week that US strikes could follow if Iranian authorities respond harshly to the country’s protesters.
Barbara Slavin, a distinguished fellow at the Stimson Center in Washington, DC, told Al Jazeera that Trump is “probably torn” when it comes to deciding what action to take against Iran.
She said that while the US president “wants another quick win, I don’t think he wants to get involved in a protracted conflict in the Middle East which is against all his instincts”.
She added that Trump is expected to carry out limited strikes that would allow him to claim he has fulfilled his promise to “help” the Iranian people, without “broad escalation”.
Earlier on Wednesday, after Britain and the US withdrew some personnel from an airbase in Qatar, a senior Iranian official warned Tehran that it would attack US bases if Washington attacked. Many countries have issued advisories to protect their citizens in the region, fearing a wider regional escalation.
Iran is ready to retaliate
Iran has said it is ready to retaliate if the US intervenes.
Mohammad Pakpour, commander of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), said Iran was ready to respond “decisively” to its enemies, Israel and the United States, who he accused of mass protests against the country.
The IRGC is “at the height of readiness to respond decisively to the enemy’s miscalculation”, Pakpur said in a written statement quoted by state television.
Pakpour accused Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of being “killers of Iran’s youth”.
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi also told US broadcaster Fox News that his government was in full control after a deadly crackdown on protests that have swept across the country since January 8.
“After three days of terror operations, now there is peace. We are in full control,” Araghchi said on Fox News’ Special Report program on Wednesday.
Reporting from Tehran, Al Jazeera’s Tohid Asadi said people in the city and across the country were anxious because they felt the shadow of war psychologically following the 12-day conflict with the US and Israel in June.
“A lot of people feel that, and it’s causing concern about a possible new round of growth, which will have a tangible impact on people’s daily lives,” he said.
The protests began in December When shopkeepers took to the streets to protest the devaluation of the local currency and the rising cost of living, it quickly escalated into widespread anti-government protests. Iranian state television acknowledged reports of mass casualties during nationwide protests and quoted the head of the Shaheed Foundation as saying that “armed and terrorist groups” were to blame.
More than 100 security personnel have been killed in two weeks of unrest, Iranian state media reported, while opposition activists say the death toll is higher and includes thousands of protesters. Al Jazeera has not been able to independently verify these figures.
The country is also facing internet blackouts, with monitor NetBlocks reporting on Wednesday that the near-total telecommunications shutdown in Iran has now exceeded 144 hours.