With peace talks on the brink and a ceasefire deadline hours away, US President Donald Trump turned his attention on Tuesday to eight women reportedly facing execution in Iran, making a direct and personal appeal to Tehran to release them.
In a post on Truth Social, Trump shared a screenshot of a claim by American pro-Israel activist Eyal Yakoby that Iran was preparing to hang eight women.
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Attaching their photographs, Trump addressed Iranian leaders directly: "To the Iranian leaders, who will soon be in negotiations with my representatives: I would greatly appreciate the release of these women. I am sure that they will respect the fact that you did so. Please do them no harm! Would be a great start to our negotiations!!!"
The post drew an immediate and scathing response from Iranian academic and political commentator Seyed Mohammad Marandi, who called it "fake and misleading news from the forces of darkness, repeated by useful idiots, to prepare the ground for the mass slaughter of Iranian citizens by the Trump and Netanyahu regimes." Marandi added: "Never forget the 168 elementary school girls murdered by Trump in Minab city."
Fake and misleading news from the forces of darkness, repeated by useful idiots, to prepare the ground for the mass slaughter of Iranian citizens by the Trump and Netanyahu regimes.
— Seyed Mohammad Marandi (@s_m_marandi) April 21, 2026
Never forget the 168 elementary school girls murdered by Trump in Minab city. pic.twitter.com/3w70aL6Wj2
The backdrop against which Trump's plea landed is one of feared executions inside Iran. As per reports, rights groups warn that further executions may be imminent, including that of Bita Hemmati, believed to be among the first known female protesters facing the death penalty in connection with the January 2026 unrest.
Norway-based Iran Human Rights and Paris-based Together Against the Death Penalty reported that at least 1,639 people were executed in 2025 alone, including 48 women.
Amnesty International has separately called on Iranian authorities to immediately halt plans to execute eight individuals sentenced to death after being convicted of offences during the January 2026 nationwide protests, warning of "expedited torture-tainted grossly unfair trials."
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It remains unclear whether the information in Yakoby's post — which formed the basis of Trump's appeal — has been independently verified. Tehran has not yet responded to the president's post.
The ceasefire between the US and Iran is set to expire on Wednesday.
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