White House denies reports of pressure shaping Trump’s Iran policy
Shafaq News– Washington
The White House on Thursday rejected media reports speculating about potential US actions on Iran, stressing that policy decisions rest solely with President Donald Trump, not unnamed officials.
At a briefing attended by Shafaq News, Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt criticized coverage relying on “anonymous sources,” arguing, “These sources do what is very, very small advisors that just told you, you can use the ground in Iran.”
Noting that recent US actions helped reduce violence in Iran, Leavitt said about 800 lives were spared. Trump, she added, continues to closely monitor developments while keeping all options on the table.
On Wednesday, Trump stated that he had been informed executions in Iran had been halted, saying he was told on what he described as reliable authority that killings were stopping and that no executions were planned.
Iranian officials have repeatedly accused the United States and Israel of seeking to destabilize the country, with Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi asserting that protests began peacefully and within constitutional bounds before turning violent following what he described as the “infiltration of armed groups.”
Protests in Iran erupted on December 28 after the rial collapsed to a record low of about 1.45 million to the US dollar, driving sharp increases in food prices and inflation before spreading nationwide. The Human Rights Activists News Agency (HRANA) said at least 2,571 people have been killed so far, including 2,403 protesters, 147 government-affiliated individuals, 12 minors, and nine civilians not involved in demonstrations. Iranian officials have acknowledged an overall death toll of around 2,000.
Read more: Escalation without Collapse: Washington’s options against Tehran
For Shafaq News, Mostafa Hashem, Washington D.C.
