US President Donald Trump has conveyed to Iran that he does not intend to launch an attack and has urged Tehran to exercise restraint, according to Iran’s envoy to Pakistan, Reza Amiri Moghadam.
Moghadam said he received the message at around 1 am (local time) on Wednesday. He said Trump did not want a war and had asked Iran not to target US interests in the region amid escalating tensions.
The Iranian envoy also said people in Iran had a legitimate right to protest and claimed the government had held talks with demonstrators. Pakistani newspaper Dawn first reported the remarks. Moghadam further alleged that armed groups were involved in violence in Iran, including killings and attacks on mosques.
Iran said on Thursday it would defend itself against any foreign threat after Trump said he would “watch it and see” on the possibility of military action in response to the crackdown on protesters.
Until Wednesday, the United States had been threatening military action if Iran carried out death sentences against those arrested during the protests. Speaking at the White House, Trump said he had received assurances from what he described as “very important sources on the other side” that executions would not go ahead.
“They’ve said the killing has stopped and the executions won’t take place. There were supposed to be a lot of executions today, and that the executions won’t take place, and we’re going to find out,” Trump said.
Asked by an AFP reporter in the Oval Office whether US military action was now off the table, Trump replied: “We’re going to watch it and see what the process is.”
The protests in Iran were initially triggered by economic grievances but quickly evolved into a nationwide movement, posing what is seen as the most serious challenge to the Islamic republic since its establishment in 1979.
Rights groups say at least 3,428 people have been killed in the authorities’ crackdown, accusing Iran’s leadership of using an internet blackout to conceal the scale of the violence.
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