World
Iran threatens to hang arrested protestors as pressure mounts on Khamenei regime
US President Trump warned that he would ‘take very strong action’ if Tehran followed through on the planned executions
January 14, 2026 11:32
US President Trump warned that he would ‘take very strong action’ if Tehran followed through on the planned executions
January 14, 2026 11:32The regime in Iran is threatening to hang several protestors arrested during the mass demonstrations against the rule of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
Hundreds of thousands of Iranians have taken to the streets in all of the country’s 31 provinces after an economic collapse last month sparked an outpouring of anti-government sentiment.
Security forces have cracked down harshly in response, with US-based human rights group HRANA reporting that more than 2,000 people have been killed thus far.
The majority of the casualties are believed to be civilian demonstrators killed in on-street clashes.
However, hundreds of others have been arrested and Tehran is now reportedly planning to execute several of the detainees.
The family of 26-year-old Erfan Soltani, who was arrested last week, have been informed that he could be executed as soon as this afternoon, according to Hengaw, a Kurdish rights group based in Norway.
Hengaw member Arina Moradi told The Telegraph: “This is the quickest we have seen a case move. This is the pattern of the Islamic Republic, for the judiciary to swiftly punish protesters with the death penalty. This will certainly not be a single case.”
In response to the reports, US President Trump has pledged to “take very strong action” if the regime follows through on the planned executions.
He told CBS News: “If they do such a thing, we will take very strong action ... We don’t want to see what’s happening in Iran happen.
"And you know, if they want to have protests, that’s one thing, when they start killing thousands of people, and now you’re telling me about hanging – we’ll see how that works out for them. It’s not going to work out good.”
His comments came after he addressed the Iranian people on his Truth Social platform, telling them that “help is on its way”, amid reports that he is weighing up a military intervention in the country.
The US previously launched strikes against Iran last June, during the Islamic Republic’s 12-day war with Israel, aimed at destroying its nuclear enrichment facilities.
The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), the global nuclear watchdog, estimates that Iran is in possession of around 400kg of 60 per cent enriched uranium, which can be converted to the 90 per cent enrichment threshold to be considered “weapons grade”.
Per the Wall Street Journal, Trump was briefed by military officials on Monday and “currently leans towards” a new round of strikes.
He then held another briefing on Tuesday, with a final decision on Washington’s course of action expected in the coming day, with the Journal adding: “Some officials have voiced concerns that US military strikes could fuel the regime’s propaganda that the US and Israel are secretly orchestrating the protests.”
Similar reports have also appeared in Hebrew media, suggesting that Israel and several Arab nations have also urged Trump to “hold off” on strikes until the protests can further weaken the ayatollah’s grip on power.
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