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Iran’s top prosecutor Thursday denied President Donald Trump’s claim that Tehran, Iran, halted mass executions of imprisoned protesters under U.S. pressure — a rebuttal that comes as Trump openly warned Iran it would face consequences more severe than recent U.S. strikes on its nuclear facilities if the executions went forward.
Trump has said he pulled back from threats to intervene militarily after Iran agreed to stop the execution of as many as 800 detained demonstrators following days of anti-regime unrest.
“This claim is completely false, no such number exists, nor has the judiciary made any such decision,” Mohammad Movahedi was quoted by Iranian state media as saying Friday.
“We have a separation of powers, the responsibilities of each institution are clearly defined, and we do not, under any circumstances, take instructions from foreign powers,” he added.
Protesters burn images of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei during a rally held in Solidarity with Iran’s Uprising, organized by The National Council of Resistance of Iran, on Whitehall in central London Jan. 11, 2026. (Carlos Jasso/AFP via Getty Images)
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Movahedi is an Iranian cleric and judge who serves as the nation’s prosecutor general. He previously warned that those taking part in the protests were “enemies of God,” a crime punishable by death.
Iran’s mission to the United Nations declined to comment on the discrepancy between Trump and Movahedi’s claims.
A White House official said Trump “is watching the situation in Iran very seriously and all options are on the table if the regime executes protesters.”
The official declined to say where Trump had learned executions were being halted but added: “As a result of President Trump’s warnings, Iranian protesters who were scheduled to be sentenced to death were not. As President Trump stated, he thinks this is good news and hopes this trend continues.”
The denial reopens questions raised in the past week, when Trump publicly warned Iran and encouraged protesters by saying “help is on its way,” setting expectations of U.S. action as security forces carried out a violent crackdown. U.S. and regional security officials said at the time that restraint reflected concern over retaliation against U.S. forces and allies — not a retreat from confrontation.
Trump has since argued that pressure worked, saying Iran backed away from planned executions after he warned of severe consequences. Iran’s rejection of that claim now sharpens the stakes, raising the prospect that Washington may soon face a test of whether it is prepared to act if executions resume — or risk its warnings being dismissed.
Trump on Thursday told reporters that a U.S. “armada” is heading toward Iran, signaling that Washington is prepared to escalate if the country continues executions or intensifies its crackdown.
Recalling a conversation with Iranian envoys, Trump said: “I said, if you hang those people, you’re going to be hit harder than you’ve ever been hit.”
Iran protests death toll rises as Rubina Aminian joins hundreds allegedly killed by government forces. (MAHSA / Middle East Images / AFP via Getty Images)
“It will make what we did to Iran nuclear look like peanuts,” he said. “And an hour before this horrible thing was going to take place, they canceled. And they actually said they canceled and they didn’t postpone it they canceled it. So that was a good sign.”
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“We have an armada heading in that direction. And maybe we won’t have to use it,” Trump said. “We’ll see,”
The president said the U.S. has “a big force going to Iran,” adding, “I’d rather not see anything happen,” but warning that “we have a lot of ships going that direction just in case.”
The Abraham Lincoln carrier strike group set sail from the South China Sea toward the Middle East in the past week and is expected to arrive in the region soon, placing significant U.S. firepower within striking distance of Iran amid rising tensions. The Lincoln carries F-35C stealth fighters, F/A-18 Super Hornets and destroyer escorts armed with Tomahawk cruise missiles and advanced air-defense systems.
Protests in Iran intensify for the 12th day. (The National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI) )
The deployment has renewed questions over whether the United States is prepared to intervene militarily if Iran resumes executions or continues its crackdown on protesters, which already has left thousands dead.
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Iranian state television has acknowledged that more than 3,000 people have been killed during the unrest, while activists and human rights groups say the true death toll is significantly higher — a discrepancy that underscores the regime’s tight control over information as international scrutiny intensifies.
By publicly tying U.S. military action to the fate of detained protesters, Trump has drawn a clear red line. Iran’s refusal to acknowledge U.S. pressure, even as American naval forces move closer, leaves little room for ambiguity — and raises the risk of escalation as both sides test each other’s resolve.
