Trump claims executions halted, Iran temp closed airspace, Britain shuts embassy

By Anjali Sharma
WASHINGTON – Iran Government on Wednesday has shut its airspace after intensifying protests and rising tensions with Washington.

US president Donald Trump claimed executions have been halted, while several countries including India asked citizens to leave Iran.

The move came late Wednesday night, triggered fresh concerns over security and travel, while governments around the world began reassessing the safety of their citizens inside Iran.

The situation in Iran remains fluid, media reported.

US President Donald Trump has said Washington has been told that killings of protesters have stopped and that feared executions will not take place.

Human Rights groups said that they continue to receive reports of serious abuses.

Diplomatic missions reacting and warnings issued for their citizens living in Iran to leave.

Iranian state-run television has broadcast a provocative image aimed at US President Donald Trump, warned that “this time it will not miss the target”.

The message, translated from Persian, referenced Trump’s attempted assassination during a 2024 campaign rally in the United States.

Images of the broadcast quickly circulated online through multiple media reports, drawing sharp attention as tensions between Tehran and Washington continue to rise.

The Iranian broadcast came after repeated warnings from Trump that the United States could take military action against Iran if it continues what he has described as violent crackdowns on protesters.

Trump has accused Iranian authorities of killing peaceful demonstrators during ongoing unrest linked to economic distress and public anger.

He posted a strongly worded message on Truth Social, warning Tehran against further violence.

“If Iran kills peaceful protesters, which is their custom, the United States of America will come to their rescue. We are locked and loaded and ready to go,” he wrote, signaling a confrontational stance.

Britain has temporarily closed its embassy in Tehran and withdrawn all diplomatic staff, citing a worsening security situation.

The move follows reports that the US has also evacuated some personnel from the Al Udeid Air Base in Qatar, the largest American military installation in the Middle East.

Iran has issued a Notice to Airmen closing its airspace to most flights, according to media reports.

The restriction applies to all flights except international operations that have received prior clearance from Iranian authorities.

The notice said the closure will remain in effect for more than two hours, until around 4:00 am local time, though officials have indicated the measure could be extended depending on the situation.

The US virtual embassy in Iran has urged American citizens to leave the country, cited rising security concerns amid the ongoing unrest.

The advisory came as protests stretch into a second week and international scrutiny intensifies.

Trump said executions in Iran ‘won’t take place’
He was speaking to reporters in the Oval Office, Trump said Washington has been informed that killings of protesters in Iran have stopped and that executions feared by rights groups will not go ahead.

“We have been notified pretty strongly but we’ll find out what that all means. We’ve been told that the killing in Iran is stopping, and it’s stopped,” added that the information came from what he described as “very important sources”.

“There was supposed to be a lot of executions today, and [those] won’t take place,” Trump said.

He added “we’ve been told on good authority, and I hope it’s true, [but] who knows.”

Trump also suggested that images showed protesters in body bags were from earlier days, indicated that the violence may not be continuing at the same scale.

When asked whether this meant military action was now off the table, he avoided giving a direct answer, said the US would “watch and see” how events unfold.

Human rights group Amnesty International said Iranian authorities have carried out mass unlawful killings during the protest crackdown, cited verified video footage and eyewitness testimony.

Amnesty in a statement said security forces fired rifles and shotguns at unarmed protesters, often targeted the head and torso, including from rooftops and residential buildings.

G7 Foreign ministers said they are “deeply alarmed” by reports of deaths and injuries linked to the crackdown in Iran.

They warned in a joint statement that additional sanctions could be imposed if the violence against protesters continues.