Iran's chief prosecutor said today that claims by US President Donald Trump that he had stopped the hanging of 800 Iranian protesters in detention were "completely false".
"This claim is completely false; such a number does not exist, nor has the judiciary made such a decision. We have a separation of powers, the responsibilities of each institution are clearly defined, and we do not, under any circumstances, take instructions from foreign powers," said Prosecutor Mohammad Movahedi, as reported by the Iranian judiciary's Mizan news agency.
Trump has repeatedly said that Iran has halted the execution of 800 people detained during protests, without specifying the source of that claim.
Judicial officials have accused some of those detained of "war against God," which carries the death penalty in Iran.
At least 5.000 people were killed in Iran in mass executions in 1988 under this charge.
Tensions between the US and Iran remain high as a US aircraft carrier group approaches the Middle East.
Trump recently said that a "large fleet" of US naval forces was heading towards Iran, and that Washington was "watching the country closely".
Analysts say the military buildup could give Trump the ability to carry out strikes, although he has so far avoided doing so despite repeated warnings to Tehran.
The mass execution of prisoners was one of his red lines for the use of military force, the other being the killing of peaceful protesters.
"Although President Trump now appears to have backed down, likely under pressure from regional leaders and aware that airstrikes alone would not be enough to topple the regime, military forces are still arriving in the region, indicating that intervention could still occur," the New York-based Soufan think tank said today.
The latest death toll in Iran was published by the US-based Independent Human Rights Network HRANA, which relies on a network of activists in Iran.
It states that 4.716 protesters, 203 members of government forces, 43 children and 40 civilians who did not participate in the protests were killed.
She added that more than 26.800 people have been detained.
That death toll exceeds the number of deaths in any other round of protests or unrest in Iran in recent decades.
During previous unrest in Iran, FOOD provided accurate data.
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