Iran denies plans to execute protesters, urges US to choose diplomacy

TEHRAN - 15 January 2026: Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi denied on Wednesday that Tehran intends to carry out executions of protesters following widespread unrest in the country.

He asserted that executions are “out of the question” in a rare interview with Fox News.

During the exchange, Araghchi took a softer tone toward the United States and encouraged Washington to pursue negotiation rather than escalating tensions.

When asked what he would tell US President Donald Trump, he suggested that diplomacy is preferable to military conflict, even if past interactions with the US hadn’t yielded positive results.

Trump had been warning of “very strong action” if Iran carried out punitive executions of dissenters, part of broader US pressure over the government’s forceful response to anti-regime protests that have drawn global attention.

In an unexpected statement from the White House on Wednesday, Trump said he had been informed by what he described as “very important sources on the other side” that the authorities had halted the use of lethal force against demonstrators and would not carry out executions.

He added that Washington would closely monitor the situation to verify whether those assurances were being honored.

Beyond dismissing execution plans, Araghchi also denied claims of large-scale protester deaths.

He portrayed the unrest not as a crackdown on peaceful demonstrators but as an infiltration by armed groups he described as having been directed from abroad.

According to him, these actors allegedly engaged in violent attacks on security forces and civilians, actions he claimed were intended to provoke international intervention by the US.

He highlighted an “Israeli plot” to inflate casualty figures to drag the US into taking an action.

Amid the diplomatic back-and-forth, concerns about a possible military escalation have prompted several governments to reduce their diplomatic presence in the region, while major airlines including Emirates, Qatar Airways and Turkish Airlines suspended or canceled flights to Iran, reflecting heightened regional tensions.

Meanwhile, the United States advised some personnel to leave Al Udeid Air Base in Qatar, diplomats told Reuters on Wednesday, steps that fueled speculation about a possible US strike.