US President Donald Trump has said he personally decided against launching military strikes on Iran, denying that pressure from Arab states or Israel played a role in his decision.
Speaking to reporters on the White House lawn on Friday, Trump insisted that the choice was his alone, despite intense diplomatic activity surrounding the escalating crisis in Iran.
“Nobody convinced me, I convinced myself,” Trump said, responding to questions about reports that regional allies urged restraint.
However, he added that one development had a “big impact” on his thinking: Iran’s reported cancellation of mass executions tied to recent anti-government protests.
According to Trump, Iranian authorities had planned as many as 800 hangings of protesters but later halted the executions. “They didn’t hang anyone,” he said, suggesting that this action influenced his decision to step back from military intervention.
Iranian officials have not publicly confirmed such figures, but human rights groups have warned of severe repression, including arrests, torture and death sentences.
Iran has been gripped by widespread protests since late December, triggered initially by economic grievances such as rising prices and unemployment. The demonstrations began with a shutdown of Tehran’s historic bazaar on December 28, before rapidly spreading to cities and towns across the country.
What started as protests over living costs soon evolved into broader calls for political change, including demands for the removal of Iran’s clerical leadership, which has ruled since the 1979 Islamic Revolution.
Over the past two weeks, Trump repeatedly threatened military action against Iran, saying the United States could intervene to support protesters facing what he described as brutal repression.
Rights organisations claim Iranian security forces have responded with lethal force, estimating that between 5,000 and 20,000 people may have been killed during the unrest, though exact figures remain difficult to verify due to restrictions on media and independent observers.
Reports surfaced on Thursday that Saudi Arabia, Qatar and Oman led what was described as a “long, frantic, diplomatic last-minute effort” to persuade Trump to give Iran time to show goodwill.
These countries, all key players in the Gulf region, were reportedly concerned that US military action could trigger a wider regional conflict, disrupt energy markets and further destabilise the Middle East.
Trump dismissed suggestions that such diplomacy shaped his decision. He maintained that while he listened to various viewpoints, the final judgment was his own. “I make my own decisions,” he said, reinforcing his long-standing claim of independent leadership on foreign policy.
The situation remains volatile. While Trump has stepped back from immediate military action, he has not ruled out future measures, warning that the United States is “watching very closely” how Iran’s leadership responds to ongoing protests.
For now, his remarks signal a pause rather than a resolution, as Iran continues to face one of the most significant internal challenges in decades.