President says he received information about the suspension from a “reliable source”; Erfan Soltani’s execution was scheduled for Wednesday (14 January)
The President of the United States, (Republican Party), stated this Wednesday (14 January 2026) that Iran has given up executing detained protesters who would be executed this Wednesday, including Iranian Erfan Soltani, 26 years old. The statement comes after the case gained international attention from human rights activists and the US State Department.
Trump said in an Oval Office statement that he was informed of the suspension of killings in Iran and the absence of new execution plans. “The killings have stopped. The executions have stopped”said the Republican.
“We are told that the killings in Iran are stopping and that there are no plans for executions, not an execution or executions. This I was told by a reliable source. Let’s find out”Trump told reporters.
Soltani had been detained on January 8 at his home in the city of Karaj for participating in demonstrations against the ayatollahs’ regime. The execution was scheduled for this Wednesday.
On Tuesday (January 13, 2026), Trump stated that he would take “strong measures” if Iran executed protesters arrested in the acts that began in December against the regime.
PROTESTS IN IRAN
The protests in Iran began on December 28, 2025. They are motivated by the country’s economic situation, with a sharp devaluation of the currency, inflation at 42.2% (data from December 2025) and increased prices of essential goods. Merchants and workers took to the streets to demand economic relief.
More people joined the demonstration. They demand political and judicial system reforms, more freedom and criticize the government of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, supreme leader of Iran. Iran reacted. According to information from (Human Rights Activists News Agency), agents used firearms and tear gas to suppress the demonstrations. The on January 9th.
Khamenei calls protesters “saboteurs”.
- Ali Khamenei – the 86-year-old ayatollah has been in power since 1989. He commands a Shiite Islamic theocracy that concentrates absolute power in the supreme leader, a lifelong position with authority over all constitutional powers. The regime, based on Sharia (Islamic law), includes the mandatory use of hijab from the age of 9 and the need for marital authorization for international travel. The opposition remains fragmented between , the MEK (People’s Mujahideen Organization), ethnic minorities and repressed protest movements, without unified leadership.
See images of the protests in Iran (1min19s):
