President Donald Trump says Tehran has 'no plan' to execute protesters, but still hasn't ruled out US military action against the country over its violent crackdown on anti-government demonstrators.
The US and UK are both reducing the number of personnel at the Al-Udeid air base in Qatar, while officials have told CBS that a partial American withdrawal is a 'precautionary measure'.
Iran's airspace was closed to nearly all flights for five hours overnight, with several airlines announcing that they will reroute flights around Iran.
The Foreign Office has also temporarily closed the British embassy in Tehran, which will now operate remotely, a government spokesperson said.
Speaking from the White House on Wednesday, Trump said his administration had been told 'on good authority' that 'the killing in Iran is stopping, and there's no plan for executions'.
When questioned by a reporter, Trump said that 'very important sources on the other side' had informed him of the developments, adding that he hoped the reports were true.
Initial demonstrations over the collapse of the Iranian currency began in late December, but swiftly expanded into a wider crisis of legitimacy for Iran's clerical leadership.
Trump had earlier threatened 'very strong action' against Iran if the government executed protesters, after reports emerged that a 26-year-old man had been sentenced to death.
Erfan Soltani was scheduled to be executed on Wednesday, but his family reported that his execution had been postponed.
Iranian authorities have reportedly failed to give Soltani's family any more information about his case. The clothes shop owner was detained in Fardis, just west of Tehran, last week.
Iran's Foreign Minister said 'hanging is out of the question' and warned Trump not to make 'the same mistake' as previous US administrations.
In addition, several European countries have urged their citizens to leave Iran, and major airlines are diverting flights away from Iranian airspace.
