Trump credits halted Iran executions for delaying military strikes

President Donald Trump signaled why he's held off on military strikes on Iran amid nationwide protests, after claiming that the country had canceled executions for hundreds of Iranians. 

When asked if Arab and Israeli officials "convinced" him to not strike Iran, Trump told reporters Friday he convinced himself and cited the canceled hangings. Trump also expressed similar sentiments on social media Friday. 

"I greatly respect the fact that all scheduled hangings, which were to take place yesterday (Over 800 of them), have been cancelled by the leadership of Iran. Thank you!" Trump said in a post on Truth Social Friday. 

The statement echoes what White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt told reporters Thursday, about the canceled executions. She maintained that all options remained on the table when it comes to dealing with Iran.

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"What I will say with respect to Iran is that the president and his team have communicated to the Iranian regime that if the killing continues, there will be grave consequences," Leavitt told reporters Thursday. 

"And the president received a message as he revealed to all of you and the whole world yesterday that the killing and the executions will stop. And the president understands today that 800 executions that were scheduled and supposed to take place yesterday were halted." 

It’s unclear from Trump’s post if he was referring to the 800 executions that already were canceled, or whether there have been two consecutive days where 800 executions have been called off. 

The White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Fox News Digital on how many executions have been canceled or whether military strikes are completely off the table now. 

Fox News Digital reached out to a spokesperson for the Islamic Republic of Iran's permanent mission to the United Nations for additional comment but did not immediately receive a reply.

Protests broke out across Iran in December 2025 in response to economic hardships facing the country, as well as a referendum against Iran’s theocratic regime.

More than 2,000 people — including at least nine children — have died in the recent protests, the U.S.-based Human Rights Activists News Agency reported Tuesday. 

The Associated Press contributed to this report.