A potential U.S. military strike on Iran has been delayed following a tense, last-minute phone call between Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and President-elect Donald Trump.
According to reporting by The New York Times, preparations for a strike appeared imminent, with diplomatic staff already evacuating Tehran and airspace being cleared. However, Netanyahu reportedly urged Trump to hold off, requesting more time for Israel to prepare its defenses against inevitable retaliation.
Diplomatic Shift and Halted Executions While the delay appears strategically motivated by Israeli defense concerns, President Trump publicly attributed the pause to a breakthrough in human rights negotiations. Trump claimed he received intelligence from “very important sources” indicating that Tehran had halted the execution of dissidents.
“We were told that the killing in Iran is stopping, and there’s no plan for executions,” Trump stated. “I’ve been told that on good authority. We’ll find out about it… I’m sure if it happens, I’ll be very upset.”
On Thursday, January 15, the White House confirmed that roughly 800 scheduled executions had been stayed, asserting that the administration “saved a lot of lives yesterday.” This narrative was corroborated by Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, who told Fox News that there were no plans for the “hanging” of protesters.
Regional Tensions and Human Rights Crisis The decision to delay military action aligns with urgent requests from regional powers—including Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Oman, and Egypt—who warned that a U.S. strike could ignite an uncontrollable regional conflict.
Meanwhile, the internal situation in Iran remains dire. Amid a nationwide internet blackout, sources told The New York Times that at least 3,000 people have been killed during recent anti-government unrest.
Mahmood Amiry-Moghaddam, Director of Iran Human Rights, described the crackdown as a “planned and widespread crime,” citing the use of military-grade weapons against civilians and street executions of the wounded. “The international community has a duty to act immediately to prevent the continuation of this killing,” Amiry-Moghaddam said.
The Case of Erfan Soltani The shifting diplomatic landscape has had immediate effects on individual cases. Attention had centered on Erfan Soltani, a 26-year-old shopkeeper believed to be the first protester facing imminent execution in this latest wave of unrest.
Following the diplomatic de-escalation, Iranian state media announced that Soltani’s charges—”colluding against internal security” and “propaganda activities”—do not carry the death penalty, a reversal that appears to confirm the pause in capital punishment urged by the U.S. administration.
