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Iran’s chief judge called for the speedy trial and execution of suspects detained in ongoing anti-government protests, despite warnings from President Donald Trump, a report said on Wednesday.
Gholamhosein Mohseni-Ezei’s comments came as the death toll from protests rose to at least 2,571, the US-based Human Rights Activist News Agency said. Other reports put the death toll at more than 3,000, with the actual number likely to be even higher.
“If we want to do something, we must do it now. If we want to do something, we must do it quickly,” Mohseni-Ezei said in a video shared by Iranian state television, according to the Associated Press. “If it’s delayed, two months, three months later, it doesn’t have that much impact. If we want to do something, we have to do it fast.”
Trump warned Iran about the executions in an interview with CBS News that aired Tuesday.
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President Donald Trump, left, and Iran’s Chief Justice Gholamhosein Mohseni-Ezei, right. (Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images; MohammadAli Najib/Middle East Images/AFP via Getty Images)
“We will take very strong action,” Trump said. “If they did something like this, we would take very strong action.”
The president said, “We don’t want to see what’s happening in Iran happen. And you know, if they want to protest, that’s one thing, when they start executing thousands of people, and now you’re telling me about executions – we’ll see how that works for them. It won’t work well.”
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Iranians join an anti-government protest in Tehran, Iran, on January 9, 2026. (UGC via AP)
Trump also vowed on Tuesday that those responsible for the killing of anti-regime protesters “will pay a heavy price.”
“Iranian patriots, keep protesting – occupy your institutions!” Trump wrote on Truth Social. “Save the names of murderers and abusers. They will pay a heavy price.”
People gather in Tehran, Iran on January 8, 2026. (Anonymous/Getty Images)
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“I have canceled all meetings with Iranian officials until the senseless killing of protesters stops. Help is on the way,” he said.
Anders Hagstrom of Fox News and The Associated Press contributed to this report.
