Trump Threatens Strong Action If Iran Executes Protesters

Published: 14 January 2026 | The English Chronicle Desk | The English Chronicle Online

President Donald Trump has warned that the United States will take “very strong action” against Iran if authorities carry out executions of anti-government protesters, as mounting evidence from rights groups points to a deadly and far-reaching crackdown across the country. The warning comes amid growing international alarm over reports that thousands of demonstrators have been killed and tens of thousands detained during weeks of unrest that now pose one of the most serious challenges to Iran’s leadership in decades.

Speaking to CBS News, the BBC’s US broadcast partner, Trump was asked about reports that detained protesters could soon face execution. His response was stark. “If they hang them, you’re going to see some things,” he said. “We will take very strong action if they do such a thing.” While he did not spell out what form that response might take, his remarks have heightened tensions between Washington and Tehran at a moment of extreme volatility.

The immediate focus of concern is the case of Erfan Soltani, a 26-year-old protester detained last week. Relatives told BBC Persian that Soltani is due to be executed on Wednesday after what they described as a shockingly swift judicial process. According to the family, an Iranian court issued a death sentence within just two days of his arrest, leaving little opportunity for legal defence or appeal.

Human rights organisations say Soltani’s case may signal a broader strategy by Iranian authorities to deter further unrest through fear. Awyar Shekhi, a representative of the Norway-based Hengaw Organization for Human Rights, told the BBC that his group had “never witnessed a case move so quickly”. He described the process as emblematic of a government “using every tactic they know to suppress people and spread fear”.

Iranian officials strongly dispute the scale and nature of the violence. An official told Reuters that around 2,000 people had been killed during the unrest but blamed “terrorists” rather than security forces. Tehran has consistently portrayed the protests as foreign-inspired and violent, a narrative rejected by rights groups and many eyewitnesses.

Trump said earlier on Tuesday that he would attend a White House meeting to discuss the unfolding crisis and seek “accurate numbers” on the death toll. “The killing looks like it’s significant, but we don’t know yet for certain,” he told reporters while returning to the White House. “Once we have the numbers, we’ll act accordingly.”

Independent organisations have attempted to fill the information vacuum created by Iran’s near-total internet blackout. The US-based Human Rights Activists News Agency, known as HRANA, says it has so far confirmed the deaths of 2,403 protesters, including at least 12 children. The group also reports that nearly 150 people affiliated with the government, including members of the security forces, have been killed. HRANA estimates that more than 18,434 protesters have been arrested nationwide.

Trump has adopted an unusually direct tone in his public messaging. Earlier on Tuesday, he wrote on his Truth Social platform that Iranian authorities would “pay a big price” for the killings and urged demonstrators to “keep protesting”. He added that he had cancelled all meetings with Iranian officials “until the senseless killing of protesters STOPS”, ending the post with the slogan “MIGA!!!” — an acronym for “Make Iran Great Again”, a phrase used by US-based Iranian opposition groups.

Behind the rhetoric, the Trump administration has already taken concrete steps to increase pressure on Tehran. The president has announced sweeping 25% tariffs on any country that trades with Iran, a move designed to deepen Iran’s economic isolation. US officials say additional military and non-military options are under consideration, though there has been no public indication of an imminent strike.

Iran’s government has responded defiantly. Officials accused Washington of seeking to “manufacture a pretext for military intervention”, warning that such a strategy has failed in the past. State media has portrayed US statements as evidence of foreign interference, arguing that external pressure only hardens domestic resolve.

The protests themselves began as an expression of economic anger. A sharp collapse in Iran’s currency, combined with soaring prices for food, fuel and basic goods, sparked demonstrations in working-class neighbourhoods and provincial towns. But the movement quickly evolved into something broader, with chants calling for political change and an end to clerical rule.

According to activists, demonstrations have spread to around 180 cities and towns across all 31 of Iran’s provinces. The scale and geographic reach of the unrest make it one of the most serious challenges to the Islamic Republic since the 1979 revolution. Protests intensified sharply last Thursday, when security forces responded with what witnesses describe as live ammunition, mass arrests and widespread beatings.

Much of the violence has taken place out of sight of the outside world. Iranian authorities imposed an almost complete shutdown of the internet and communications networks, limiting the flow of images and information. Despite this, videos smuggled out of the country and testimonies from relatives and activists suggest a coordinated and highly lethal crackdown.

For families like Soltani’s, the political drama offers little comfort. Relatives told BBC Persian they are racing against time to save him, appealing to international organisations and foreign governments to intervene. Rights groups fear that executions could be used as a warning to others, potentially marking a new and more brutal phase of repression.

The crisis presents a major foreign policy test for Trump. Having returned to the White House promising to project strength abroad, he now faces pressure from human rights advocates to translate words into action. At the same time, any escalation risks igniting a wider regional confrontation in an already unstable Middle East.

As Iran’s streets remain tense and its prisons fill with detainees, the coming days could prove decisive. Whether Trump’s warning deters executions or accelerates confrontation may shape not only the fate of individual protesters, but also the future of US-Iran relations and the trajectory of one of the most significant protest movements in Iran’s modern history.