Trump celebrates the ‘release’ of 8 women set to be executed by Iran

President Donald Trump said that the Iranian government has agreed to release eight female protesters who were facing the death penalty. “Very good news,” the Republican president wrote on Truth Social on Wednesday afternoon. “I have just been informed that the eight women protestors who were going to be executed tonight in Iran will no longer be killed.”Four women will be freed immediately, while the other four will serve out an additional month in prison, he said.Trump’s announcement came one day after he reposted photos of the women — alongside a caption claiming they faced hanging — and urged Iran’s regime to release them as a goodwill gesture ahead of U.S.-Iran peace talks.But Iranian officials have rejected claims that the women were facing the death penalty.President Donald Trump celebrated the 'release' of eight women who he said were set to be executed in Iran (Getty Images) “Trump was misled once again by fake news,” a statement posted to the website of Iran’s judiciary read. “The women who were claimed to be on the verge of execution, some of them have been released, while others face charges that, if convictions are upheld, would at most result in imprisonment.”Human rights groups have reported that only one of the women, Bita Hemmati, had been sentenced to death, according to The Times. She had purportedly participated in protests against the regime in January.Iran's theocratic regime, led by hardline Islamist clerics, faces longstanding accusations of severe human rights abuses — including the killing and imprisonment of protesters, according to the United Nations.On Wednesday afternoon, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt hailed the president’s announcement, attributing it to his unmatched diplomatic prowess."Only President Trump could save the lives of these eight beautiful Iranian women, who he has received direct word from the Iranian regime, or what’s left of it, that their lives are going to be spared,” she told Fox News. She described Trump as “a humanitarian at heart.”'Very good news,' the president wrote on Truth Social on Wednesday. 'I have just been informed that the eight women protestors who were going to be executed tonight in Iran will no longer be killed' (Truth Social)The apparent release of the eight women comes one day after Trump extended the Iran ceasefire — just before the original two-week truce expired. Previous talks in Pakistan with Vice President JD Vance broke down after just one day.Despite the cessation of hostilities, the Strait of Hormuz — a vital trade route through which 20 percent of global oil passes — remains under dueling blockades by the U.S. and Iran.The war has killed thousands across the Middle East, including 13 U.S. service members, while sparking fears of global economic turmoil.Multiple recent polls indicate that a majority of Americans are opposed to the war. Just 38 percent of Americans back strikes against the Middle East nation, according to a Politico survey released earlier this month.