Trump takes credit for sparing eight Iranian women from execution
President Donald Trump took credit for the release of eight Iranian women, who he said were on death row. The photo of the women went viral online under speculation that the image was AI-generated, leading to the belief that the story is a hoax.
“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 they will respect the fact that you did so. Please do them no harm! Would be a great way to start our negotiations!!! Thank you for your attention to this matter,” Trump posted on Truth Social.
A day later, Trump broke positive news about the women’s release. He wrote on a follow-up post, “Very good news! I have just been informed that the eight women protestors who were going to be executed tonight in Iran will no longer be killed. Four will be released immediately, and four will be sentenced to one month in prison.”
The US president spared no time to take credit for the women’s release.
Trump added on his post, “I very much appreciate Iran, and its leaders, respected my request as the President of the United States, and terminated the planned execution. Thank you for your attention to this matter!”
If the event took place, Trump’s move is undeniably diplomatic and de-escalatory. Moreover, it aligns with one of the administration’s goals to “liberate” protesters. It’s definitely a better step on the president’s behalf, but there are many who believe that the women Trump saved don’t exist.
Are the women Trump ‘saved’ real or AI-generated?
Iranian officials denied Trump’s victorious posts. Several social media accounts that identify as Iranian embassies contradicted Trump’s claim. These accounts either denied or mocked Trump for taking credit over an event they believe did not happen.
The Iran Embassy SA said, “Hurray, Trump saved 8 AI-generated people.”
But strangely enough, the Iran Embassy in Sierra Leone contradicted the claim. They wrote, “Fact check: 4 of those 8 Iranian women Trump cited for hanging yesterday have been free for weeks. The others aren’t facing execution. They are in custody awaiting trial on charges that carry prison time—not execution.”
But an important distinction to make here is that Bita Hemmati is the only detainee who was officially on death row. Mahboubeh Shabani is also facing a death penalty charge but has not been officially convicted. Golnaz Naraghi and Venus Hosseininejad were already released on bail in March.
The details matter, as any alteration could overstate Trump’s victory. In criticism of any establishment, it would be equally important to discern the facts. The women Trump posted about are not AI-generated but actual political prisoners.
Whether or not the Iranian authorities heeded the release because Trump urged them to doesn’t matter. If Trump is instrumental to the release of innocent political dissidents, then it’s still something to celebrate.
Iran’s state-sanctioned violence against civilians
Iranian leadership has been committing human rights abuses against demonstrators of the 2025-2026 Iranian protests. Demonstrators have been imprisoned en masse, and tens of thousands have been killed by the regime. The brutalities committed by the Iranian regime were weaponized by the United States to justify the war.
At the helm of the repression were Iran’s former Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC). They crushed dissent through brute force. Even with the death of Khamenei and US intervention, extrajudicial killings by the IRGC and the unjust detention of political dissidents continue in Iran.
(featured image: The White House)
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