On Tuesday he tweeted “Help is on the way!”, and Wednesday night he suddenly claimed “the killing of protesters has stopped,” and today he was celebrating “good news” over the reported cancellation of the execution of one of the detained demonstrators. Despite reports that U.S. President Donald Trump may avoid a strike on Iran for now, tension remains high globally and in Israel, with many seeing such reports as a possible smokescreen or deliberate misdirection by the U.S. president — and that he may still follow through on his threats to punish the Islamic Republic for its mass killing of protesters.
On the streets of Tehran life appears to have returned to normal
(Video: Reuters)
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Is President Donald Trump trying to fake out Ali Khamenei
(Photos: Brendan Smialowski/AFP, AP Photo/Majdi Mohammed, Planet Labs Inc./Handout via REUTERS, shutterstock)
In Israel there has been no official response so far, nor any comment on claims that the U.S. has decided not to strike Iran. Earlier, Iran’s ambassador to Pakistan claimed the U.S. informed Tehran yesterday that it did not intend to attack. A senior Saudi official later said that Saudi Arabia, Qatar and Oman “convinced Trump to give Iran a chance," warning that a strike would have serious consequences for the region, according to French news agency AFP.
Adding to these claims, Reuters reported that alert levels have been reduced at the U.S. Al‑Udeid Air Base in Qatar — partially evacuated yesterday amid fears of Iranian reprisal — and that some aircraft that left the base have begun returning. A U.S. official told Reuters the moves were precautionary given the heightened regional tension.
Trump acknowledges good news on protester’s fate
On Wednesday, Trump broadcast a somewhat conciliatory message after Iran denied reports that 26‑year‑old protester Arfan Soltani — arrested in a demonstration near Tehran last Thursday and who became one of the protest’s global symbols — was set to be executed. Soltani’s family had directly appealed to Trump to prevent the execution.
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Thursday morning on the streets of Tehran
(Photo: Majid Asgaripour/WANA (West Asia News Agency) via Reuters)
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President Donald Trump reports 'good news' on Wednesday evening
(Photo: Alex Brandon/AP)
Trump had vowed a strong response if Iran executed protesters — even though Iranian forces are accused of killing thousands without trial — and on his social network, Truth Social, he quoted a Fox News headline:
“Iranian protester no longer sentenced to death after President Trump’s warnings.”
He added: “This is good news, hopefully it continues!”
Tuesday evening Trump sounded more cautious, saying he had received reports that the killing of protesters had ceased. A U.S. military official told The New York Times that the president’s statement was a “way out of the crisis.” But it remains unclear if Trump is genuinely stepping back after repeated threats over the past week to punish Iran for executions, or if this is a deliberate attempt at misdirection.
Divisions within the US administration
Reports also point to disagreements within the U.S. administration over a possible strike, with senior figures like Vice President J.D. Vance — aligned with Trump’s more hawkish faction — opposing military action. At the same time, Iranian forces are reportedly on high alert for an attack.
The U.S. military is also facing logistical constraints, particularly regarding protection of its forces in the Middle East, due to redeployments in recent months — including the aircraft carrier USS Gerald R. Ford, moved to the Caribbean as part of operations around Venezuela. From this perspective, the U.S. may need additional time to prepare for an effective strike.
Earlier Wednesday, NBC reported that Trump told his security team he wants any military action against Iran to deliver a “quick, decisive blow” to the regime — not spark a prolonged conflict lasting weeks or months. The report cited a U.S. official, two people familiar with the discussions, and a White House insider.
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This is what the streets of Tehran looked like on Thursday morning, after thousands of protesters were killed
(Photo: Majid Asgaripour/WANA (West Asia News Agency) via Reuters)
“If he does something, he wants it to be decisive,” one source said. Yet three sources added that Trump’s advisers have not been able to guarantee that a U.S. strike would quickly lead to a rapid collapse of the Iranian regime. There is also concern that the U.S. currently lacks all the necessary means in the region to defend against a strong Iranian response, which senior U.S. officials expect.
White House silent on claims from Iran and Saudi officials
The White House has not yet addressed the claims from Iranian and Saudi sources about the apparent cancellation of a strike on Iran. Republican Senator Lindsey Graham, a key Trump ally in Congress whose direct role in the administration’s deliberations is unclear, said Wednesday that the reports are far from the truth. Over the weekend, Graham told Iranians that thanks to Trump, “help is on the way, and your long nightmare is nearing its end.”
On Tuesday, even amid the latest reports, Graham tweeted that the killing of protesters continues, but sounded less certain about the prospects of a U.S. strike: “I hope help is on the way,” he wrote.
Thursday evening he posted another tweet criticizing the U.S. Gulf allies reportedly pushing to avert a strike: “Any headlines suggesting that our so‑called ‘Arab allies’ intervened on behalf of Iran to avoid decisive military action by President Trump are extremely troubling. The ayatollah regime has American blood on its hands. They are slaughtering people in the streets. If the Arab response is ‘no need for action against Iran’ given the current monstrous massacre of innocent people, then I will have to dramatically rethink the nature of alliances now and in the future.”
New US sanctions on Iranian officials
On Thursday night the U.S. Treasury Department announced new sanctions on senior Iranian figures over the deadly suppression of the protest movement — including Ali Larijani, secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council and a close ally of Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei.
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New sanctions on senior Iranian figuresincluding Ali Larijani, secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council
(Photo: Aziz Taher/Reuters)
“The United States stands with the Iranian people in their call for freedom and justice,” Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said. “At President Trump’s direction, the Treasury is imposing sanctions on key Iranian leaders involved in the violent repression of the Iranian people. We will use every tool at our disposal to target those behind the tyrannical suppression of human rights.”
Sanctions were also imposed on senior security commanders in Iran’s Lorestan and Fars provinces — including law enforcement and Revolutionary Guard commanders accused by the Treasury Department of firing live ammunition at protesters, attacking hospitals, killing civilians and abusing the wounded and their families.
In parallel, sanctions targeted shadow banking networks that help the Iranian regime launder oil and petrochemical revenues — funds that are not used for the benefit of Iranians enduring a severe economic crisis that helped spark the protests late last month.
Signs of protest suppression in Tehran
Meanwhile, according to the Associated Press, Iran appears largely to have succeeded in suppressing the protests. After thousands were reportedly killed, Tehran residents said in recent mornings they had not seen debris from bonfires or destroyed streets as they did at the height of the protests. They also said the nightly gunfire that once echoed through the capital has stopped.
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The streets of Tehran, post protest
(Photo: Majid Asgaripour/WANA (West Asia News Agency) via Reuters)
In Iran, the internet has been shut down for a full week — though accounts continue to trickle out, and Iranians say they have managed to make calls abroad.
Reuters also reported Thursday on a somewhat normal return to life in parts of Tehran, publishing a video showing streets filled with pedestrians. One resident interviewed by Reuters, named Abolfaz, said Trump “talks a lot” and boasts he will not be deterred by Iran. “He wants Iranians to kneel — that’s a mistake, we will stand against him with all our strength,” he said, and his remarks suggested support for the regime. Another resident, Mohammad Khari, said life in Tehran is returning to normal, but economic hardship persists: “People are doing a bit more shopping, but the high cost of living is still severe, especially for goods.”