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U.S. President Donald Trump said Wednesday that Iran had agreed not to execute eight women protesters, while Iranian officials and the judiciary denied any such executions had been planned and described his account as false.
Trump made the remarks in a social media post, saying Iran had agreed not to carry out the executions as a sign of respect for him.
"Very good news," Trump said in the post, which came a day after he granted a unilateral ceasefire in the war started by the U.S. and Israel on Feb. 28.
Trump said four of the eight women would be released immediately, while four others would receive one-month prison sentences.
"I very much appreciate that Iran, and its leaders, respected my request, as President of the United States, and terminated the planned execution," Trump said.
Iran rejected the account and said Trump was spreading falsehoods.
Officials in Tehran denied that any executions had been planned and said the entire issue was fabricated. Iran also said Trump was trying to save face.
The Iranian judiciary's news agency, Mizan, said Wednesday that Trump's remarks were based on "false news" and that he was attempting to fabricate achievements.
"Trump's empty-handedness in the battlefield has pushed him towards fabricating achievements from false news," Mizan said.
In a separate response posted on X, Mizan said Trump's claim that eight women who were supposed to be executed that night had been spared was false.
"Despite the claim from last night being exposed as a lie, Trump, just minutes ago in another post, claimed that the death sentences of eight protesting women who were supposed to be executed tonight in Iran have been cancelled, and thanked Iran!" Mizan said.
"Trump's empty hand in the field has led him to fabricate achievements from false news," it added.
Iran's judiciary said the women had never faced the death penalty.
After an earlier social media post by Trump on Tuesday, Mizan said he had "fallen for" false claims circulated by anti-Iran groups.
On Wednesday, it again said Tehran had made no concessions.
"Last night, Donald Trump, citing a completely false news story, called on Iran to overturn the death sentences of eight women," Mizan said.
"However, despite the false claim being revealed last night, Trump claimed in another post a few minutes ago that the sentences of eight protesting women who were supposed to be executed in Iran tonight have been overturned and thanked Iran!"
The agency said a number of the women had already been released and that some were facing charges that could result in prison, but not death.
The remarks came as Trump expressed frustration over Iran's refusal to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, a conduit for one-fifth of the world's oil and gas, despite the ceasefire he declared on April 8 and extended on Tuesday.
According to the Iranian judiciary response, Trump's remarks came after he urged Tehran to release the women to help peace negotiations.
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