Trump's USA Protests in Iran

The US is imposing new sanctions on Iran

The US is imposing new sanctions on Iranian officials accused of suppressing demonstrations in the country, Reuters reports.

This includes a senior official in Iran's Security Council, whom the US accuses of inciting violence against protesters.

According to the US Treasury Department, sanctions are also being imposed on trade, shipping and energy companies.

"The Treasury Department will use all tools to reach those behind the regime's tyrannical repression of human rights," the department writes on its website.

Sources: Neighbors calmed Trump's desire to bomb

Donald Trump went from seemingly ready to bomb Iran to completely softening his stance on the country. High-ranking Saudi sources tell AFP that an intensive diplomatic effort from Saudi Arabia, Qatar and Oman was behind the U-turn.

The sources say they conducted a “long, frantic, last-minute diplomatic effort” to persuade Trump not to attack Iran.

“It was a sleepless night to disarm more bombs in the region,” one of the officials said.

Several voices from the region, including Israeli and Egyptian, have warned that a US military intervention in Iran would risk regional stability and may not be enough to topple the regime. 

Military focus in the Caribbean limits Trump's options

If the US is to attack Iran, it must be done quickly and forcefully and not lead to a protracted war. That is the message President Donald Trump has given his national security advisers, two sources with insight into NBC News say.

The advisers have so far been unable to guarantee that an American attack would lead to a quick fall for the Iranian regime. There is also concern that the US does not have enough military resources in the region to defend itself if Iran responds aggressively.

The Wall Street Journal writes that the Trump administration's new focus on Latin America has meant that there are currently twelve warships in Caribbean waters. There are only six in the Middle East, and no aircraft carrier. According to the newspaper, this limits Trump's room for maneuver if the conflict with Iran were to escalate further.

Iran: No plans for hangings right now

Iran has no plans for executions “today or tomorrow,” says Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi in an interview with Fox News.

– I can say that I am certain that no hangings have been planned, he says.

He tried to play down the protests in the country, claiming that the situation is now “calm” and that the regime is “in full control.”

Iran has previously promised speedy trials and executions for those arrested during the protests. US President Donald Trump, who has recently warned of retaliation if protesters are executed, says he has been assured that “the killing has stopped” and that plans for hangings have been changed.

Among other things, there have been reports that the execution of Erfan Soltani, who has become a front figure for the protest movement, has been stopped, writes TT.