Trump has asked Iran to release eight women who are scheduled to be executed

U.S. President Donald Trump has appealed to Iranian authorities to release eight women whom, according to activists, the regime is preparing to execute by hanging. 

Trump shared information from American activist Eyal Jacobi on his social media platform Truth Social, calling a possible pardon a “wonderful start” for upcoming talks between U.S. and Iranian representatives in Islamabad.

Among the women whose photos appeared online, Bita Hemmati has been identified—the first woman sentenced to death for participating in the mass anti-government protests that swept Tehran in December and January. She and three other activists were accused of “collaborating with the hostile state of the United States” and using pyrotechnics against security forces. Although the Iranian side has not officially confirmed plans for the immediate execution of these eight women, calls from human rights activists to save Hemmati and other prisoners of conscience are growing louder. While Trump attempts to use the humanitarian issue as a diplomatic lever, in Russia, similar initiatives to protect the rights of political prisoners in allied countries are typically ignored, and executions in Iran are presented as an “internal matter” of a sovereign state. Negotiations in Pakistan remain at risk due to the tense situation surrounding the ceasefire.

Diplomatic efforts to end the conflict between the U.S. and Iran are at risk of collapse due to the American leader’s public activities. 

Trump has expressed his willingness to meet personally with Iran’s new leadership