"If executions are carried out, there will be strong action" – Is Trump moving to intervene in Iran protests?

[Financial News] U.S. President Donald Trump has warned that he will take "very strong action" if the Iranian regime hangs participants in the anti-government protests. Human rights groups claim that protester Erfan Soltani could be executed on the 14th (local time). Attention is focused on whether Trump’s remarks will raise the level of U.S. involvement, using the executions as a turning point.
In a CBS interview on the 13th, Trump said, "If Iran carries out hangings, the United States will take very strong action." However, he also indicated that he had "not heard" anything specific about executions and did not spell out concrete response measures. At the same time, he used the phrase "end game is victory," hinting that he is not ruling out military options, including strikes on the leadership.
The case of Soltani is being cited as a catalyst heightening tensions. Iran Human Rights (IHR), based in Norway, and the Hengaw Organization for Human Rights reported that after Soltani was arrested near Karaj, his family was notified that his death sentence had been finalized and that execution on the 14th was being discussed. The groups also raised concerns about lack of access to legal counsel and flaws in the trial process.
On the same day, Trump wrote on Truth Social, "I have canceled all talks with Iranian officials until the indiscriminate slaughter of protesters stops," adding the message, "Keep protesting. Help is on the way."
Iran immediately pushed back. Ali Larijani, secretary of the Supreme National Security Council of Iran, wrote on X (formerly Twitter) that Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu were key figures responsible for killing the people of Iran.
It remains unclear, however, whether U.S. military intervention will materialize anytime soon. Trump’s close aides and Gulf states in the Middle East are reportedly urging restraint and calling for de-escalation rather than an attack on Tehran. The Wall Street Journal (WSJ) reported that the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA), the Sultanate of Oman, Qatar and others are wary of military action, concerned about risks in the Strait of Hormuz, a spike in oil prices, and broader regional instability.
Confusion over the scale of casualties is another variable. With internet shutdowns and other restrictions making outside verification difficult, the Human Rights Activists News Agency (HRANA) has put the cumulative death toll so far at 2,571, while CBS Broadcasting Inc. (CBS) reported that the number of deaths could range from at least 12,000 to as many as 20,000. The Iranian government has not released official statistics on the total number of people killed in the crackdown on protests.

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km@fnnews.com Reporter Kim Kyung-min Reporter