Overview
- Iran’s judiciary said Erfan Soltani has not been sentenced to death and that the charges against him — collusion against internal security and propaganda against the state — do not carry capital punishment.
- Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi told Fox News there is no plan to hang detainees, echoing assurances that there would be no hangings in the immediate term.
- Rights groups and Soltani’s relatives had reported an execution set for January 14 was communicated then postponed, though independent confirmation remains difficult under severe internet restrictions.
- President Trump said he was told the killings had eased and executions would not take place, maintained that military options remain under review, and a UN Security Council session on Iran was set for Thursday.
- Nationwide protests over economic collapse have faced a heavy crackdown, with rights monitors reporting thousands of deaths and mass arrests, as regional precautions included a brief closure of Iranian airspace and limited drawdowns at a U.S. base in Qatar.