Iran pledges not to execute protesters and temporarily avoids US military strikes

After being pressured by US President Trump, Iran promised not to execute protesters, which might have prevented the US from launching military strikes.

On Wednesday (January 14th), Trump told reporters that he had learned that "the killing in Iran is coming to an end", and said that if the suppression continued it would make him "very disappointed". This represents a significant change from his earlier stance this week, when he had called on Iranian people to continue their demonstrations and promised "assistance is on the way".

Bloomberg quoted data from the flight tracking website FlightRadar24, saying that Iran's airspace has resumed flight operations after a brief closure. According to the semi-official Tasnim News Agency, Iran's civil aviation organization stated that inbound and outbound flights have resumed operations.

A series of developments indicate that Tehran and Washington are approaching the brink of conflict. It is reported that as the US military partially withdrew from bases in Qatar and other regions, Iran temporarily closed its airspace, while the UK announced the temporary closure of its embassy in Iran. The tension in the region remains high, and the possibility of a renewed escalation of the conflict, including US intervention, still exists.

The protests in Iran have seemed to have subsided since last week, when tens of thousands of people took to the streets across the country to protest against the regime of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamenei. The Iranian authorities claim they have regained control of the situation and accuse the United States and Israel of inciting the unrest.

The pro-government rallies and the state-organized public funeral were the main topics covered by the national television station. However, the ongoing internet disruptions across the country are still preventing the coverage of local events.

Human rights organizations have consistently reported that the protests that began in late December last year and have significantly intensified in recent weeks have resulted in a rising death toll. The Tehran-based Iranian Human Rights Organization said that at least 3,428 protesters have died, marking the most lethal crackdown on dissidents in Tehran in decades.

Iran's Foreign Minister Ali Larijani denied on Wednesday during an interview with Fox News that he would carry out executions of protesters. This statement seems to be a direct response to the previous warnings from the US president. Trump had said that if Iran resorted to executing protesters, he would take "extremely tough actions".

Alaghi said on the special report program, "Execution by hanging is absolutely impossible. I have not heard of such a thing. There will be no execution by hanging today, tomorrow or at any time. I can assure you all that there is absolutely no plan for such an execution."

Alaghi reaffirmed his position that "diplomacy is superior to war" and opposed the United States' decision to launch more strikes. He said, "We must not repeat the mistakes of June. If we insist on trying the failed plan again, the outcome will be the same."