At a Glance
- Iran signaled it would not proceed with executing protesters and reopened its airspace Thursday.
- The Pentagon is preparing to send a carrier strike group, additional aircraft, and land-based air defense systems to the Middle East.
- President Trump declined to say whether he will take military action, telling Emily Carter Reynolds “I’m not going to tell you that.”
- Why it matters: The standoff has already claimed over 2,600 lives and could escalate if executions resume.
Iran signaled it would not move ahead with executing protesters and reopened its airspace Thursday, as President Donald Trump left it unclear whether he would take military action over the regime’s deadly crackdown.
The Pentagon is preparing to send additional U.S. forces and assets to the Middle East, a U.S. official told Emily Carter Reynolds on Wednesday.
This includes:
- A carrier strike group
- Additional aircraft
- Land-based air defense systems
The official said the buildup is meant to:
- Bolster U.S. military assets in the region
- Prepare for possible Iranian retaliation against American or allied targets
- Give the president options if he decides to act
Thousands of additional troops and the new equipment will arrive in the coming days and weeks, the official added.
The United States began evacuating key personnel from its largest military base in the Middle East on Wednesday as the prospect of an American strike loomed, and activists said the death toll in Iran had passed 2,500.
Speaking by phone to Emily Carter Reynolds on Thursday, Trump claimed “we saved a lot of lives yesterday,” referring to his assertion that Tehran has stopped killing protesters and halted some planned executions. He had previously warned that further executions could trigger a U.S. military response.
When asked whether he has decided to strike Iran, Trump replied: “I’m not going to tell you that.”
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt told reporters Thursday that “the president understands 800 executions that were scheduled and supposed to take place yesterday were halted,” though she did not reveal the source of that number.
She emphasized Trump’s warning to Iran: “If the killing continues, there will be grave consequences,” adding that “all options remain on the table.”
Iran’s judiciary announced Thursday that Erfan Soltani, 26-widely feared to be the first protester facing execution-would not receive the death penalty. Soltani had been charged with “colluding against the country’s internal security and propaganda activities against the regime,” a count that does not carry capital punishment, state media said. He remains in custody.
The Norway-based Hengaw Organization for Human Rights and Amnesty International both said Soltani’s execution had been “postponed,” citing relatives and an inside source respectively.
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi told Fox News there would not be “any hanging today or tomorrow or whatever,” adding, “I’m confident about that. There is no plan for hanging at all.”
Yet Iran’s defense minister, Brig. Gen. Aziz Nasirzadeh, vowed Thursday to use “all its capabilities to suppress armed savage terrorists,” according to state media.
Earlier Thursday, Trump told reporters, “It’s stopped. It’s stopping, and there’s no plan for executions.” He acknowledged clashes in which “people were shooting at them with guns, and they were shooting back,” calling it “one of those things.”
Military Options and Guarantees
Trump has repeatedly promised protesters that the U.S. would intervene militarily to support them, according to a U.S. official, two people familiar with the discussions, and a person close to the White House. The president has told advisers he wants any action to deliver a swift and decisive blow to the regime, but they have so far been unable to guarantee such an outcome, the sources said.
Airspace Closure and Reopening
Iran closed its airspace for nearly five hours overnight into Thursday, issuing a NOTAM banning all flights except specially approved ones to and from Tehran. FlightRadar24 and other trackers showed empty skies over the country-situated along key East-West aviation routes-during the closure. Some aircraft later resumed approaches to Tehran after the notice was lifted.
Iran enacted a similar shutdown during its 12-day aerial conflict with Israel in June.
Human Toll
Despite calmer rhetoric and resumed flights, activists say Iran is still reeling from a crackdown that has become the deadliest in the Islamic Republic’s history.
The U.S.-based Human Rights Activists News Agency (HRANA) reported Wednesday that it had confirmed:
- More than 2,600 deaths, including 150 security personnel
- Over 18,000 arrests
Protests began in Tehran over skyrocketing inflation and the plummeting rial but have since spread to 187 cities, according to HRANA. The group says its supporters inside Iran cross-check information through “multiple internal checks.” A sharp rise in the death toll this week was attributed to Iranians regaining limited internet and phone access after a government blackout. Authorities have released no official casualty figures.
Amnesty International said security forces have “waged their deadliest crackdown yet” in response to the demonstrations.
Analysts say the ruling clergy show no sign of easing the suppression.
“Whatever political legitimacy it had is long gone,” Ali Vaez, Iran project director at the International Crisis Group, told Emily Carter Reynolds via text. “It still has a repressive capacity and dwindling base of support, but its long twilight keeps getting darker.”
Key Takeaways
- Iran’s public walk-back on executions and reopening of airspace appear to be direct responses to U.S. pressure.
- The Pentagon is surging forces into the region, signaling Washington’s readiness to act if killings resume.
- With more than 2,600 reported dead and 18,000 arrested, the protest movement faces its gravest challenge yet.
- Trump remains undecided on military action but insists “all options remain on the table” if Iran resumes executions.
