WSJ: Trump paused Iran strike after receiving message from FM Araghchi

U.S. plans to carry out strikes against Iran were halted after Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi delivered a message to President Donald Trump via special envoy Steve Witkoff, the Wall Street Journal reports.

According to sources, the message from Tehran included information that 800 planned executions had been cancelled, which became one of the factors influencing Washington’s decision to abandon immediate military action.

Meanwhile, senior Trump administration officials were preparing for a nighttime operation, but the Pentagon warned of risks and limited ability to counter a possible Iranian response.

Trump also considered the threat to around 30,000 U.S. troops in the Middle East, as well as the potential economic fallout of a conflict. U.S. allies in the region, including Saudi Arabia, Qatar and Egypt, also opposed the strike.

However, speaking at a briefing earlier today, January 18, Iran’s Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei said claims circulating about the execution of 800 people were untrue but had nevertheless been believed by some audiences. He said the Al Jazeera report showed how targeted accounts were being used to publish content against Iran.

By Khagan Isayev