WASHINGTON: US President Donald Trump said he had been told the killings of protesters in Iran had been halted.
Speaking at the White House, Trump said he received assurances from "very important sources on the other side" that planned executions would also not proceed.
"We've been told on good authority, and I hope it's true," he said, while noting the claims were unverified.
The statement came as Washington appeared to draw down staff at the Al Udeid US military base in Qatar.
Two diplomatic sources told AFP some personnel were asked to leave, with Qatar citing "regional tensions" as the reason.
Iran targeted the base in June in retaliation for US strikes on its nuclear facilities.
A senior advisor to Iran's supreme leader warned the strike showed "Iran's will and capability to respond to any attack."
Iran struck a defiant tone, warning it could respond to any action from Washington.
The standoff follows Trump's warning that Tehran could face action over its crackdown on protests.
Rights groups say the crackdown has left at least 3,428 people dead.
Monitors say authorities carried out harsh repression under cover of a five-day internet blackout.
Iran's judiciary chief vowed fast-track trials for those arrested, stoking fears over the use of capital punishment.
He said that "if a person burned someone, beheaded someone and set them on fire then we must do our work quickly."
Prosecutors have said some detainees will face capital charges of "waging war against God."
State media reported hundreds of arrests and the detention of a foreign national for espionage.
The US State Department said a 26-year-old protester had been sentenced to execution.
The Norway-based Hengaw rights group said it had no new information on his fate due to the communications blackout.
Amnesty International accused authorities of committing mass unlawful killings "on an unprecedented scale."
The US-based Institute for the Study of War said authorities were using "an unprecedented level of brutality to suppress protests."
In Tehran, authorities held a funeral for more than 100 security personnel killed in the unrest.
Thousands waved Islamic republic flags and prayed for the dead outside Tehran University.
"Death to America!" read banners carried by mourners, while others carried photos of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
The British government said its embassy in Tehran had been "temporarily closed."
The US embassy in Saudi Arabia urged its staff to exercise caution and avoid military installations.
G7 nations said they were "deeply alarmed at the high level of reported deaths and injuries."
The group warned of further sanctions if the crackdown continued.