Iran’s top prosecutor on Friday pushed back on a recent announcement by the president Donald Trump that Iran has canceled more than 800 executions, claiming the president’s comments are “completely false.”
Trump wrote on Truth Social last week: “I have great respect for the fact that all planned hangings that were supposed to take place yesterday (over 800 of them) have been canceled by Iran’s leadership. Thank you!”
However, Iran’s top prosecutor, Mohammad Movahedi, said on Friday: “This claim is completely false; such a number does not exist, nor has the judiciary made such a decision,” according to The Associated Press.
“We have a separation of powers, the responsibilities of each institution are clearly defined and we do not accept instructions from foreign powers under any circumstances,” Movahedi reportedly added in comments published by the Iranian judiciary’s Mizan news agency.
TRUMP CREDITS HALTING IRAN’S EXECUTIONS FOR DELAYING MILITARY ATTACKS
President Donald Trump is seen in the Oval Office at the White House in Washington, DC, on Wednesday, January 14, 2026. (Evelyn Hockstein/Reuters)
The official added after Trump’s warnings to Iran, demonstrators who would have been sentenced to death there were not.
The White House official also said Trump believes this is good news and hopes the trend continues.
Iranian soldier sentenced to death for refusing to shoot protesters during nationwide unrest
Iranians gather while blocking a street during a protest in Tehran, Iran, on January 9, 2026. (MAHSA / Middle East Images / AFP via Getty Images)
“What I will say regarding Iran is that the president and his team have communicated to the Iranian regime that if the killing continues, there will be serious consequences,” White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt told reporters last week.
On Friday there were 5,032 deaths during the crackdown on anti-government protesters in Iran, reported the AP, citing the US-based Human Rights Activists News Agency.
Protesters gather as vehicles burn during anti-government unrest in Tehran, Iran, in this screenshot obtained from a social media video released on January 9, 2026. (Social media/via Reuters)
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The Iranian government announced its first death toll on Wednesday, saying 3,117 people had been killed. It claimed that 2,427 of those killed in the demonstrations that began on December 28 were civilians and security forces, while the rest were “terrorists.”
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
