Iran postpones execution of first protester as regime closes airspace amid fears of US strikes

Erfan Soltani, 26, was due to be hanged on Wednesday, but a family member has told Sky News that it will not go ahead today.

The clothes shop owner was the first person sentenced to death after taking part in the anti-Government protests, which have seen over 2,000 people killed.

Despite the delay, his relatives have admitted he could still face execution at any time.

On Wednesday, Mr Soltani's relatives begged for help from the US and camped outside Ghezel Hesar prison, where their relative is being detained.

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Read More: Iranian protester, 26, 'will not be hanged on Wednesday' but family admit he faces execution at any time

After the family's intervention, President Trump claimed from the Oval Office he has it on "good authority" that the killing of protesters in Iran has "stopped" and the regime has axed planned executions

The President's claims came as experts warned US military intervention in Iran's deadly protests is increasingly likely following Mr Trump's vow for "very strong actions" if hangings are completed in Tehran.

Iran's top judge had hinted at fast trials and executions for people detained in nationwide protests against the regime, as activists said the death toll had risen to 2,572.

Judiciary chief Gholamhossein Mohseni-Ejei made the comments in a video shared by Iranian state TV, despite a warning from US President Donald Trump that he will "take very strong action" if executions take place.

Echoing Trump's sentiments, Iran's Foreign Minister Araghchi has said that authorities are now back in full control of the country.

He added that "after three days of terrorist operations, there is a calm".

The protests which have spread rapidly are said to have claimed the lives of more than 2,000 civilians.

The US-based Human Rights Activists News Agency said the number of dead had climbed to at least 2,571 early on Wednesday.

The figure dwarfs the toll from any other round of protest or unrest in Iran in decades and recalls the chaos surrounding the country's 1979 Islamic Revolution.

Speaking to reporters in the Oval Office on Wednesday, Mr Trump said: “We have been notified pretty strongly — but we’ll find out what that all means… We’ve been told that the killing in Iran is stopping, and it’s stopped.”

He added: “And there’s no plan for executions, or an execution, or executions -- so I’ve been told that on good authority.”

But despite the apparent stay on the anticipated American attack, Western military officials are still warning that a strike is imminent.

An unnamed military official told Reuters: "All the signals are that a U.S. attack is imminent, but that is also how this administration behaves to keep everyone on their toes. Unpredictability is part of the strategy."

After Mr Trump was informed on the number of deaths, he warned Tehran that he was terminating any negotiations and would "act accordingly".

Later on Wednesday, Mr Trump pulled hundreds of personnel out of a key US military base in Qatar in what officials have called a "precautionary measure", with the UK following.

US personnel at the base were previously advised to evacuate by Wednesday evening, an American official said.

British forces stationed at the base were also evacuated amid fears of potential reprisals should the US strike Iranian targets.

Elsewhere, the British embassy in Tehran has been closed amid a pro-regime protest outside its Tehran location.

A UK Government spokesperson has confirmed that the temporary closure on Wednesday night.

“We have temporarily closed the British Embassy in Tehran, this will now operate remotely. Foreign Office travel advice has now been updated to reflect this consular change,” the spokesperson said.