Killings in Iran’s crackdown on protests are easing, US President Donald Trump says he has been told, and he believes there is no plan for large-scale executions, adopting a wait-and-see posture after earlier threatening intervention.
Trump's comments came after fears grew in the Middle East that Washington could launch strikes, following his repeated threats to intervene on behalf of Iranian protesters.
Trump did not rule out possible US military action, however.
In separate comments, Trump told Reuters that Iranian opposition figure Reza Pahlavi "seems very nice" but expressed uncertainty over whether Pahlavi would be able to muster support within Iran to eventually take over.
Trump said it was possible the government in Tehran could fall due to the protests, but that in truth "any regime can fail".
"Whether or not it falls or not, it's going to be an interesting period of time," he said on Wednesday.
Tensions escalated when Iran said it had warned neighbours it would hit American bases in the event of US strikes, and a US official said the United States was withdrawing some personnel from bases in the region.
Several Western officials said US military intervention could be imminent.
Qatar said drawdowns from its Al Udeid air base, the biggest US base in the Middle East, were "being undertaken in response to the current regional tensions".
Iran launched missiles at Al Udeid in 2025 in response to US air strikes on its nuclear installations during the 12-day war between Tehran and its arch-foe Israel.
The clerical establishment has cracked down hard on one of the biggest challenges to its rule since the 1979 Islamic Revolution.
More than 2500 people have been reported killed in the unrest that spiralled out of protests over soaring prices.
People that Reuters have reached inside the country said the protests appeared to have abated since Monday.
Information flows have been hampered by an internet blackout for a week.
The death toll has dwarfed that of previous unrest crushed by the Iranian authorities, such as the 2022 "Woman, Life, Freedom" protests and unrest sparked by a disputed election in 2009.
Trump, speaking at the White House, said he has been told that killings in the crackdown were subsiding.
He did not rule out potential US military action, saying "we are going to watch what the process is" before noting that his administration had received a "very good statement" from Iran.
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi said "there is no plan" to hang people, when asked about the protests.
"Hanging is out of the question," he told Fox News.
Earlier this week, rights organisation Hengaw reported that 26-year-old Essam Soltani, arrested in connection with protests in the city of Karaj, was due to be executed on Wednesday.
However, on Thursday Iranian state media said the death penalty did not apply to Soltani's charges.
Iran and its Western foes have both described the unrest as the most violent since the 1979 Islamic Revolution that installed Iran's system of Shi'ite clerical rule.
Iranian authorities said the demonstrations turned from legitimate protest at economic grievances into unrest fomented by its foreign enemies.
In a fragmented Iranian opposition, Pahlavi has emerged as a prominent voice.
The US-based Pahlavi, 65, has lived outside Iran since before his father, the last shah of Iran, was toppled.
"He seems very nice, but I don't know how he'd play within his own country," Trump said.
"And we really aren't up to that point yet.
"I don't know whether or not his country would accept his leadership, and certainly if they would, that would be fine with me."
