Trump Claims Iran Halts Execution of 8 Women Following His Request

US President Donald Trump claims that Iran has halted plans to execute eight women arrested for anti-government protests, following his urging Tehran to release them to facilitate peace negotiations. “I greatly appreciate that Iran, and its leaders, have respected my request, as President of the United States, and halted the execution plans,” he wrote on his Truth Social platform, as reported by AFP news agency on Thursday (23/4/2026). Previously, Iran had denied planning to execute the women. Iran’s judicial authorities, as reported by AFP, described Trump’s appeal as “fake news.” Tehran also emphasised that no female protesters are at risk of execution. “Trump has once again been misled by fake news,” stated the official website of Iran’s judicial authority, Mizan Online. “The women claimed to be on the verge of execution—some of them have been released, while others face charges that, if proven guilty, would most likely result in prison sentences,” Mizan Online said. Human rights groups state that at least one woman arrested for the January protests has been sentenced to death. At least one other woman faces charges that could lead to the death penalty and execution. Trump previously stated on social media that releasing the women could benefit Iran in negotiations, reposting a claim by an activist that eight women were facing death by hanging. The claim did not provide names but included photos of the women. The fate of the current US-Iran talks hosted by Pakistan remains unclear. Previous rounds of negotiations failed after Tehran accused the United States of making excessive demands regarding the Strait of Hormuz and its nuclear programme. Human rights groups accuse Iran of using the death penalty to instil fear throughout society and increasing executions of political prisoners amid the war against the United States and Israel.