• Mohammad Movahedi disputes Trump statement about preventing mass executions
• Death toll from protest crackdown reaches 5,002 according to activist groups
• US aircraft carrier group moves toward Middle East as tensions escalate

WASHINGTON, DC (TDR) — Iran's top prosecutor Mohammad Movahedi forcefully rejected President Donald Trump's assertion that American threats halted the planned execution of 837 protesters, calling the claim completely false and emphasizing the judiciary's independence from foreign pressure. The denial came as the death toll from Tehran's violent suppression of nationwide demonstrations climbed to at least 5,002, according to human rights organizations.

Trump had claimed aboard Air Force One Thursday that he stopped the hangings through direct warnings to Iranian leadership about potential military consequences. The president stated he threatened Iran with strikes that would exceed previous American attacks if the regime proceeded with the executions.

"I stopped 837 hangings on Thursday, would have been dead, every one of them, mostly young men."

Trump told reporters he delivered an ultimatum warning Tehran it would face unprecedented retaliation if the executions proceeded. According to the president's account, Iranian officials canceled the planned hangings just one hour before they were scheduled to take place.

Judiciary Denies Execution Plans Existed

Movahedi, speaking through Iran's IRIB state broadcaster and the judiciary's Mizan news agency, categorically disputed the American president's narrative. The prosecutor general characterized Trump as both irrational and arrogant while insisting no such execution plan existed.

"This claim is completely false; no such number exists, nor has the judiciary made any such decision."

The Iranian judicial official emphasized that Iran operates under a separation of powers system where each institution maintains clearly defined responsibilities. Movahedi stressed that the judiciary does not accept instructions from foreign governments under any circumstances.

"The judiciary is an independent institution and does not take orders from foreigners."

His comments suggested that Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi may have provided the 837 figure to Trump during direct communications. Araghchi has maintained regular contact with U.S. envoy Steve Witkoff and conducted multiple rounds of negotiations over Iran's nuclear program through this channel.

Death Toll Surpasses 5,000 Amid Internet Blackout

The U.S.-based Human Rights Activists News Agency reported Friday that at least 5,002 people have been killed during Iran's crackdown on nationwide protests. The organization, which relies on a network of activists inside Iran to verify deaths, stated that 4,716 victims were demonstrators while 203 were government-affiliated personnel.

The activist group documented 43 children among the dead along with 40 civilians who were not participating in the protests. More than 26,800 people have been detained in a widening arrest campaign by authorities, according to the same report.

"After three days of terrorist operation, now there is a calm. We are in full control."

Araghchi made this statement to Fox News when asked about the government's response to demonstrations that spread across the country since January 8. The foreign minister denied any plans existed for hanging protesters, contradicting Trump's claims about intervention.

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Iran's government offered its first official death toll Wednesday, stating 3,117 people were killed during demonstrations that began December 28. The regime claimed 2,427 of the dead were civilians and security forces, labeling the remaining fatalities as terrorists. Iran's theocracy has historically undercounted or failed to report fatalities from civil unrest.

The Associated Press has been unable to independently verify the death toll due to authorities cutting internet access and blocking international calls into the country. Iran has also limited journalists' ability to report on the aftermath, instead repeatedly airing state television claims characterizing demonstrators as rioters motivated by America and Israel.

Supreme Leader Acknowledges Thousands Killed

Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei acknowledged Saturday that thousands of Iranians were killed during more than two weeks of unrest, deaths he attributed directly to Trump. Khamenei called the American president a criminal responsible for both casualties and property damage during antigovernment protests.

"By harming the people, they (the 'rioters') killed several thousand of them."

The 86-year-old leader made no mention of brutal tactics employed by Iranian security forces in suppressing demonstrations. Witnesses and human rights groups have described government forces opening fire on protesters in streets and from rooftops throughout major cities.

Khamenei declared that the United States must be held accountable for the violence, claiming Trump openly encouraged protesters by promising American military support. The supreme leader categorized those involved in unrest as falling into two groups: individuals supported, funded and trained by the United States and Israel, plus young people manipulated by these ringleaders.

Judiciary Threatens Swift Prosecution

Judiciary officials have designated some detained protesters as mohareb, meaning enemies of God. This charge carries a mandatory death penalty under Iranian law and has been used in past mass executions, including the 1988 killings that reportedly claimed at least 5,000 lives.

"If we want to do a job, we should do it now. If we want to do something, we have to do it quickly, if it becomes late, two months, three months later, it doesn't have the same effect."

Judiciary Chief Gholamhossein Mohseni-Ejei made this statement emphasizing rapid trials and punishment for detained protesters. According to Iran Human Rights, the organization has learned through sources within the Islamic Republic's Ministry of Health that between January 8 and 12 alone, at least 3,379 protester deaths were registered.

The protests began when shopkeepers took to Tehran streets December 28 to demonstrate against currency collapse and soaring living costs. Economic hardships exacerbated by years of Western sanctions triggered the initial peaceful demonstrations, which authorities acknowledged as addressing legitimate grievances before claiming the movement was hijacked by foreign-backed rioters.

Trump Dispatches Armada Toward Region

Trump announced Thursday that an American aircraft carrier group is moving toward Iran, describing the naval force as a massive armada heading in that direction. The president suggested the military buildup might not require actual use but positioned assets for potential action.

"I said, 'If you hang those people, you're going to be hit harder than you've ever been hit,' and an hour before this horrible event, they canceled it."

The USS Abraham Lincoln carrier strike group is traveling from the South China Sea toward the Middle East, expected to arrive within approximately one week. Analysts indicate the military deployment could provide Trump options for conducting strikes, though he has avoided that course despite repeated warnings to Tehran.

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Trump told reporters aboard Air Force One that he threatened Iran with military action making previous U.S. strikes against its nuclear sites look insignificant if the government proceeded with planned protester executions. The president indicated Thursday that Tehran remains open to negotiations, saying Iran wants to talk and the United States will engage in discussions.

Diplomatic Channels Remain Active Despite Crisis

U.S. Special Envoy Steve Witkoff confirmed that while formal negotiations are not currently underway, the United States has maintained contact with Iranian officials. Speaking at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Witkoff characterized Iran as a deal that ought to happen.

"We're not negotiating with them now. But we've had contact with them. And as the president said, that contact led them to make a statement that the killings would stop."

The special envoy outlined four areas that any diplomatic agreement would need to address: nuclear enrichment, ballistic missiles, Iran's existing stockpile of approximately 2,000 kilograms of enriched uranium, and Tehran's network of regional proxies including Hamas and Hezbollah.

Witkoff and Araghchi established direct communication during nuclear talks last year and continued exchanging messages even after the United States bombed Iranian nuclear facilities in June. The Iranian foreign minister reached out to the White House envoy over the weekend amid Trump's military threats, according to sources familiar with the matter.

Iran commemorated the Day of the Guardian Friday, an annual event for its paramilitary Revolutionary Guard which played a key role in suppressing nationwide protests. State television aired religious programming that showcased Iranian military drones, including Shahed models extensively used by Russia in its Ukraine conflict.

Will the international community intervene to protect Iranian protesters as the death toll continues rising and Tehran threatens mass executions of detained demonstrators?

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