U.S. President Donald Trump delivers remarks during a meeting with New York City Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani in the Oval Office of the White House on November 21, 2025 in Washington, DC. (Andrew Harnik/Getty Images)
The statement echoes what White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt told reporters Thursday, about the canceled executions. She maintained that all options remained on the table when it comes to dealing with Iran.
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"What I will say with respect to Iran is that the president and his team have communicated to the Iranian regime that if the killing continues, there will be grave consequences," Leavitt told reporters Thursday. "And the president received a message as he revealed to all of you and the whole world yesterday that the killing and the executions will stop. And the president understands today that 800 executions that were scheduled and supposed to take place yesterday were halted."
Demonstrators burn pictures of Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei outside the Iranian embassy during a rally in support of nationwide protests in Iran, in London, Jan. 12, 2026. (Toby Melville/Reuters)
Protests broke out across Iran in December 2025 in response to economic hardships facing the country, as well as a referendum against Iran’s theocratic regime.
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More than 2,000 people — including at least nine children — have died in the recent protests, the U.S.-based Human Rights Activists News Agency reported Tuesday.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Diana Stancy is a politics reporter with Fox News Digital covering the White House.
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