ERBIL, Kurdistan Region of Iraq – Iran’s judiciary on Tuesday denied US President Donald Trump’s remarks of eight women facing execution as “fake news,” saying some of the women “have been released.” 

Trump on Tuesday urged Tehran to halt the executions of eight women linked to the January protests, saying their release would be a “great start” to negotiations ahead of a potential second round of US-Iran talks in Islamabad. 

“Trump was misled again by fake news,” the judiciary’s Mizan Online website said. “The women who he claimed to be on the verge of execution, some of them have been released, while others face charges that would at most result in imprisonment if the convictions are upheld.” 

In his earlier post on Truth Social, Trump said that he would “greatly appreciate the release of these women.” 

Iran and the United States were initially set to meet on Tuesday for another round of talks in Islamabad as the ceasefire deadline nears expiration, aiming to reach a possible deal to formally end the war, but Tehran threatened to boycott the negotiations. 

On Tuesday, Iranian foreign ministry spokesperson Esmail Baghaei said that Tehran had yet to make a decision whether to hold further talks with Washington in Islamabad. 

The photos of the eight Iranian women have drawn widespread attention on social media in recent days following reports that alleged January protesters could face imminent executions.

The attention began earlier in April, when Western media first reported that the first group of women was among those facing possible execution over alleged participation in the January protests.

In a repeated tactic during periods of unrest in Iran, Tehran has intensified its crackdown on uprisings and protesters by cutting communication services and imposing nationwide internet blackouts, making it significantly harder to obtain information and document abuses.

Iran has repeatedly referred to the recent nationwide protests as “foreign plots,” and labeled the demonstrators “terrorist elements” working for the US and Israel, labeling the uprising as a continuation of June’s 12-day war.

In the 12‑day war with Israel in June, Iranian authorities carried out a wave of arrests on alleged espionage charges and executed several men convicted of spying for Israel’s intelligence services.