By Nandita Bose
WASHINGTON, Jan 14 (Reuters) – President Donald Trump said on Wednesday he has been told that killings in Iran’s crackdown on nationwide protests were subsiding and that he believes there is currently no plan for large-scale executions, even as tensions between Tehran and Washington remain high.
Asked who told him that the killings stopped, Trump described them as “very important sources on the other side.”
The president did not rule out potential U.S. military action, saying “we are going to watch what the process is” before noting the U.S. administration received a “very good statement” from Iran.
Trump’s comments appeared meant to signal a cautious easing of fears that the crisis in Iran could escalate into a broader regional confrontation. In a televised interview on Monday, Trump had warned that the United States would take “very strong action” if Iran’s authorities went ahead with executing protesters they had detained during widespread unrest.
(Reporting by Nandita Bose and Jarrett Renshaw; Editing by Will Dunham)
