President Trump said Wednesday that Iran has backed away from executing eight women, describing the development as a positive outcome following his public appeal a day earlier.

“I have just been informed that the eight women protestors who were going to be executed tonight in Iran will no longer be killed. Four will be released immediately, and four will be sentenced to one month in prison,” Trump wrote on Truth Social.

“I very much appreciate that Iran, and its leaders, respected my request, as President of the United States, and terminated the planned execution.”

The announcement came shortly after Trump agreed to extend a temporary cease-fire with Iran for an additional two weeks, as American negotiators continue waiting for Tehran’s response to a proposed framework aimed at ending nearly two months of fighting.

Iranian authorities, however, disputed the premise of Trump’s claim, insisting that the women were never facing execution in the first place. The country’s judiciary said that “Trump was misled once again by fake news” and that “some of them have been released, while others face charges that, if convictions are upheld, would at most result in imprisonment.”

That account has been challenged by activists and human rights groups. According to those organizations, at least one of the women, Bita Hemmati, had been sentenced to death over her alleged role in protests earlier this year.

Her case drew attention in recent days after being highlighted by advocacy groups monitoring developments inside Iran. Reports indicated that Hemmati and several others were accused of taking part in demonstrations in early January.

Hemmati, along with four men, was found guilty of “participation in protest gatherings on January 8 and 9, 2026,” including “chanting protest slogans,” “throwing objects including bottles, concrete blocks, and incendiary materials from rooftops,” and “destruction of public property,” the activist news agency said.

At the same time, not all of the women remain in custody. Two of them — Golnaz Naraghi, 37, and Venus Hosseininejad, 28 — have reportedly been free on bail since late March, according to a Norway-based human rights organization.

The cases gained wider visibility after Iranian dissident Masih Alinejad, who resides in the United States, shared details about the women on social media, including their identities and which among them were believed to face capital punishment.

The developments come against the backdrop of the ongoing conflict between the United States and Iran, which began Feb. 28 after Trump warned earlier in the year that Washington would take action if Iranian authorities violently suppressed protests — a crackdown that reportedly resulted in thousands of deaths.

While the fate of the detainees has drawn attention, diplomatic efforts have largely centered on broader strategic issues. Trump has emphasized that his primary objective in negotiations is to secure an agreement ending Iran’s nuclear enrichment program and to recover an estimated 1,000 pounds of highly enriched uranium.

{Matzav.com}