The US on Thursday imposed sanctions on 5 Iranian officers it accused of being behind the crackdown on protests and stated it was monitoring Iranian leaders’ funds being wired to worldwide banks, as President Donald Trump retains the strain on Tehran.
The US Treasury Division in a press release stated it imposed sanctions on the secretary of the Supreme Council for Nationwide Safety in addition to Islamic Revolutionary Guard corps and legislation enforcement forces commanders, accusing them of being architects of the crackdown.
The US additionally imposed sanctions on Fardis Jail, the place the State Division stated girls had “endured merciless, inhuman, and degrading remedy.”
Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent in a video on Thursday stated Washington’s message to Iran’s leaders was clear: “US Treasury is aware of, that like rats on a sinking ship, you’re frantically wiring funds stolen from Iranian households to banks and monetary establishments around the globe. Relaxation assured, we’ll observe them and also you.
“However there’s nonetheless time, in case you select to affix us. As President Trump has stated, cease the violence and stand with the folks of Iran.”
‘No demise sentence for arrested protester’
Earlier right now, Trump stated he had been informed that killings in Iran’s crackdown on protests had been easing and that he believed there was no present plan for large-scale executions, adopting a wait-and-see posture after beforehand threatening intervention.
In the meantime, after Iran’s overseas minister stated Iran had “no plan” to hold folks, Iranian state media on Thursday reported {that a} 26-year-old man arrested throughout protests within the metropolis of Karaj wouldn’t be given the demise sentence.
Rights organisation Hengaw, which reported earlier this week that Erfan Soltani was because of be executed on Wednesday, stated a beforehand communicated order for his execution had been postponed, citing his kinfolk.
In a social media submit on Thursday, Trump responded to a information report that an Iranian protester was now not being sentenced to demise, writing: “That is excellent news. Hopefully, it’ll proceed!”
Iranian state media stated that whereas Soltani was being charged with colluding in opposition to “inside safety and propaganda actions in opposition to the regime”, the demise penalty doesn’t apply to such costs.
Araghchi additionally stated the Iranian authorities was “in full management” and reported an environment of “calm” after what he referred to as three days of “terrorist operation”.
The British authorities stated its embassy in Tehran had been “briefly closed”, whereas the US embassy in Saudi Arabia urged employees to train warning and keep away from army installations.
Iran’s judiciary chief vowed to fast-track trials for these arrested, stoking fears authorities will use capital punishment as a instrument of repression.
Trump has repeatedly threatened to intervene on behalf of protesters in Iran, the place the Iranian management has cracked down arduous on nationwide unrest since December 28.
Reuters quoted a Gulf official as saying that 4 Arab states carried out intense diplomacy with the USA and Iran this week to forestall a threatened US assault on Iran.
Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Oman and Egypt had been concerned within the diplomacy over 48 hours earlier than Trump signalled on Thursday that he had finally determined in opposition to an assault for now, saying the killings in Iran had been easing.
The 4 nations had conveyed to Washington that any assault would have penalties for the broader area by way of each safety and economics that will finally affect the USA itself, the official stated, talking on situation of anonymity as a result of sensitivity of the matter.
They informed Iran that any retaliatory assault it launched on US services within the Gulf would have penalties for Tehran’s relations with different nations within the area, the official added.
Saudi Arabia’s worldwide media workplace, Qatar’s International Ministry, Oman’s Data Ministry and Egypt’s International Ministry spokesperson didn’t instantly reply to requests for remark.
The International Ministry of the United Arab Emirates, which was not concerned within the diplomacy described by the official, didn’t instantly reply to a request for touch upon whether or not it had engaged in any diplomacy on the difficulty.
Protests seem to abate
Folks contained in the nation, reached by Reuters on Wednesday and Thursday, stated the protests seem to have abated since Monday.
Data flows have been hampered by an web blackout for per week.
Tensions had escalated on Wednesday, with Iran saying it had warned neighbours it could hit American bases within the area within the occasion of US strikes, and a US official saying the USA was withdrawing some personnel from bases within the area.
Trump, talking on the White Home, stated he has been informed that killings within the crackdown had been subsiding.
Requested who informed him that the killings had stopped, Trump described them as “essential sources on the opposite aspect”.
The president didn’t rule out potential US army motion, saying “we’re going to watch what the method is” earlier than noting that his administration had obtained a “superb assertion” from Iran.
In separate feedback to Reuters, Trump expressed uncertainty over whether or not Reza Pahlavi, the son of the late shah of Iran and a outstanding determine in Iran’s fractured opposition, would be capable of muster help inside Iran to finally take over.
Trump informed Reuters it’s attainable the federal government in Tehran might fall as a result of protests however that in fact “any regime can fail”.
Turkiye, one in all a number of states within the area the place the US has forces, expressed opposition to using violence in opposition to Iran, with International Minister Hakan Fidan saying at a press convention in Istanbul that the precedence is to keep away from destabilisation.
Saudi FM Prince Faisal bin Farhan held a telephone name with Iranian International Minister Abbas Araghchi on Thursday and mentioned methods to help safety and stability within the area, the Saudi overseas ministry stated.
Qatar stated on Wednesday that drawdowns from its Al Udeid air base, the largest US base within the Center East, had been “being undertaken in response to the present regional tensions”.
Iran launched missiles at Al Udeid final yr in response to US airstrikes on its nuclear installations through the 12-day conflict between Tehran and Israel.
Ali Shamkhani, a senior advisor to Supreme Chief Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, warned Trump that the strike confirmed “Iran’s will and functionality to reply to any assault”.
Iran reopens airspace
Iran reopened its airspace after an almost five-hour closure amid considerations about attainable army motion between the US and Iran that compelled airways to cancel, reroute or delay some flights.
Iran closed its airspace to all flights besides worldwide ones to and from Iran with official permission at 10:15pmGMT (3:15amPKT) on Wednesday, based on a discover on the US Federal Aviation Administration web site.
The discover was eliminated shortly earlier than 3amGMT (8am PKT), based on monitoring service Flightradar24, which confirmed 5 flights from Iranian carriers Mahan Air, Yazd Airways and AVA Airways had been among the many first to renew over the nation.
Missile and drone barrages in a rising variety of battle zones signify a excessive threat to airline visitors.
Indian airways amongst these affected
India’s largest airline IndiGo stated a few of its worldwide flights can be impacted by Iran’s sudden airspace closure.
Air India stated its flights had been utilizing different routes that might end in delays or cancellations.
A flight by Russia’s Aeroflot certain for Tehran returned to Moscow after the closure, based on Flightradar24 information.
Earlier on Wednesday, Germany issued a brand new directive cautioning the nation’s airways from getting into Iranian airspace, shortly after Lufthansa rejigged its flight operations throughout the Center East amid escalating tensions within the area.
America already prohibits all US business flights from overflying Iran and there aren’t any direct flights between the nations.
Airline operators like flydubai and Turkish Airways have canceled a number of flights to Iran prior to now week.
“A number of airways have already diminished or suspended companies, and most carriers are avoiding Iranian airspace,” stated Secure Airspace, a web site run by OPSGROUP, a membership-based organisation that shares flight threat data.
“The state of affairs could sign additional safety or army exercise, together with the chance of missile launches or heightened air defence, rising the chance of misidentification of civil visitors.”
Lufthansa stated on Wednesday that it could bypass Iranian and Iraqi airspace till additional discover, whereas it could solely function day flights to Tel Aviv and Amman from Wednesday till Monday subsequent week in order that crew wouldn’t have to remain in a single day.
Some flights is also cancelled on account of these actions, it added in a press release.
Italian provider ITA Airways, through which Lufthansa Group is now a serious shareholder, stated that it could equally droop night time flights to Tel Aviv till Tuesday subsequent week.
‘Unprecedented stage of brutality’
Individually, G7 nations stated on Wednesday they had been “deeply alarmed on the excessive stage of reported deaths and accidents” and warned of additional sanctions if the crackdown continued.
Monitor NetBlocks stated Iran’s web blackout had lasted 156 hours.
Amnesty Worldwide accused authorities of committing mass illegal killings “on an unprecedented scale,” citing verified movies and eyewitness accounts.
The US-based Institute for the Research of Warfare stated authorities had been utilizing “an unprecedented stage of brutality to suppress protests,” noting studies of protest exercise had sharply declined.
A senior Iranian official informed journalists there had been no new “riots” since Monday, distinguishing them from earlier cost-of-living protests. “Each society can count on protests, however we is not going to tolerate violence,” he stated.
Prosecutors have stated some detainees will face capital costs of “waging conflict in opposition to God”. State media reported lots of of arrests and the detention of a overseas nationwide for espionage, with out giving particulars.
India tells residents to depart Iran
India’s overseas ministry has urged its residents to depart Iran, the place rights teams say a crackdown on mass protests has killed and arrested hundreds of individuals.
India’s overseas ministry estimates there are normally round 10,000 residents in Iran.
“Indian nationals who’re at the moment in Iran (college students, pilgrims, enterprise individuals and vacationers) are suggested to depart Iran by obtainable technique of transport,” the Indian Embassy in Tehran stated, in a submit on social media late Wednesday.
AI-created Iran protest movies acquire traction
AI-generated movies purportedly depicting protests in Iran have flooded the online, researchers stated Wednesday, as social media customers push hyper-realistic deepfakes to fill an data void amid the nation’s web restrictions.
US disinformation watchdog NewsGuard stated it recognized seven AI-generated movies depicting the Iranian protests — created by each pro- and anti-government actors — which have collectively amassed some 3.5 million views throughout on-line platforms.
Amongst them was a video shared on the Elon Musk-owned platform X exhibiting girls protesters smashing a automobile belonging to the Basij, the Iranian paramilitary power deployed to suppress the protests.
One X submit that includes the AI clip, shared by what NewsGuard described as anti-regime customers, garnered almost 720,000 views.
Anti-regime X and TikTok customers in the USA additionally posted AI movies depicting Iranian protesters symbolically renaming native streets after President Donald Trump.
One such clip reveals a protester altering a avenue signal to “Trump St” whereas different demonstrators cheer, with an overlaid caption studying: “Iranian protestors are renaming the streets after Trump.”
Professional-regime social media customers additionally shared AI movies purportedly exhibiting large-scale pro-government counterprotests all through the Islamic republic.
The AI creations spotlight the rising prevalence of what specialists name “hallucinated” visible content material on social media throughout main information occasions, typically overshadowing genuine photographs and movies.
On this case, AI creators had been filling an data void brought on by the web blackout imposed by the Iranian regime because it sought to suppress demonstrations, specialists stated.
“There’s a number of information — however no approach to get it due to the web blackout,” stated NewsGuard analyst Ines Chomnalez.
“International social media customers are turning to AI video turbines to advance their very own narratives concerning the unfolding chaos.”
The fabricated movies had been the most recent instance of AI instruments being deployed to distort fast-developing breaking information.
AI fabrications, typically amplified by partisan actors, have fueled alternate realities round latest information occasions, together with the US seize of Venezuelan chief Nicolas Maduro and a lethal taking pictures by immigration brokers in Minneapolis.
AFP fact-checkers additionally uncovered misrepresented photographs that created deceptive narratives concerning the Iranian protests, the most important because the Islamic Republic was proclaimed in 1979.
One months-old video purportedly exhibiting demonstrations in Iran was truly filmed in Greece in November 2025, whereas one other claiming to depict a protester tearing down an Iranian flag was filmed in Nepal throughout final yr’s protests that toppled the Himalayan nation’s authorities.
