Iran’s top prosecutor on Friday strongly denied U.S. President Donald Trump’s repeated claims that he had prevented the execution of 800 protesters detained in the country, calling the assertion “completely false.” The announcement comes as activists say the death toll from Iran’s nationwide crackdown has risen to at least 5,002, though many fear the real number is higher amid the country’s ongoing internet blackout, now in its third week.
Tensions between the U.S. and Iran remain elevated as an American aircraft carrier group moves closer to the region. Trump described the buildup as an “armada,” though analysts say it has so far been a show of force rather than direct military action. Experts note that the mass execution of prisoners had been a potential red line for military intervention, alongside the killing of peaceful demonstrators.
Prosecutor Mohammad Movahedi refuted Trump’s claim, emphasizing that no such decision had been made by Iran’s judiciary. He suggested that Trump may have received the number from Iran’s Foreign Ministry but stressed that the judiciary operates independently and does not take instructions from foreign powers. Iranian officials have labeled some detainees as “mohareb,” or “enemies of God,” a charge that carries the death penalty and was used in mass executions in 1988.
Meanwhile, Iran’s Friday prayer leader Mohammad Javad Haji Ali Akbari mocked Trump, warning that any harm to Iran would make U.S. assets in the region precise targets.
The latest figures from the U.S.-based Human Rights Activists News Agency report that 4,716 of the dead were demonstrators, 203 were government-affiliated, 43 were children, and 40 were other civilians, with more than 26,800 people detained since protests began Dec. 28. These numbers exceed the official government toll of 3,117 and reflect years of underreporting by Iranian authorities.
In the U.S., the aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln and its strike group have moved into the Indian Ocean, part of a military buildup Trump said was “just in case” action became necessary. He reiterated that previous U.S. military operations against Iranian nuclear sites would pale in comparison to potential future strikes if diplomacy failed.
On the ground in Iran, the Revolutionary Guard marked the annual “Day of the Guardian” by showcasing Shahed drones, some of which have been used in international conflicts. State television aired masked personnel issuing veiled threats toward Israel, signaling Tehran’s ongoing posture of deterrence amid regional tensions.
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