US President Donald Trump on Friday denied that Arab or Gulf states had convinced him to refrain from attacking Iran.
US media had reported that senior officials from Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Oman and Egypt as well as Israel had urged Mr Trump to hold back on a strike.
“Nobody convinced me. I convinced myself,” he told reporters. “You had, yesterday, scheduled over 800 hangings. They didn't hang anyone. They cancelled the hangings. That had a big impact.”
Earlier, in a post on Truth Social, Mr Trump said he greatly respected the gesture by the Iranian leadership of cancelling the executions.
His spoke after days of intense speculation over whether he would order a military strike on Iran, due to mass killings committed during widespread protests in the country. The US previously struck Iran's nuclear infrastructure in June.
The death toll for protesters surged after the Iranian government began a brutal crackdown. At least 2,615 people have been killed since the unrest began, according to the US-based Human Rights Activists News Agency.
But Mr Trump has indicated the threat of a military strike has been lowered – for now.
On Thursday, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said Mr Trump would continue to closely monitor the situation on the ground in Iran.
The US envoy to the UN warned on Thursday all options were on the table to “stop the slaughter”.
Meanwhile, the US has ordered a carrier strike group stationed in the Pacific to make its way towards the Middle East. The USS Abraham Lincoln had been operating in the South China Sea, but it is expected to arrive in the region in about a week.
Iranian Americans hold vigil outside White House - in pictures
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Iranian Americans hold a rally and vigil outside the White House, in Washington, in honour of people killed during the recent protests in Iran. AFP -
People hold portraits of those killed during the protests. AFP -
Many Iranians abroad have not heard from family and friends who still live in Iran in weeks, due to an internet shutdown. Reuters -
The vigil was also held to stand in solidarity with the people of Iran. Reuters -
Participants called on the US, EU and other world powers to stand with protesters in Iran. Reuters -
A flower tribute during the vigil. AFP -
People hold flags during the vigil. Reuters
The US is expected to deploy additional offensive and defensive capabilities to the region, reports said, but their exact make-up and the timing of their arrival was unclear.
