International More Iranians face executions over protests: UN rights chief by Ryan Mancini - 02/27/26 7:08 PM ET by Ryan Mancini - 02/27/26 7:08 PM ET Share ✕ LinkedIn LinkedIn Email Email NOW PLAYING United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk on Friday warned that more Iranians face the risk of being executed after widespread anti-government protests last month. “I am horrified by reports that at least eight people, including two children, have been sentenced to death in connection with the protests,” Türk said in a speech to the U.N. Human Rights Council in Geneva. “Another 30 are reportedly at risk of the same sentence.” “I urge independent, impartial and transparent investigations, fair trial guarantees, and an immediate moratorium on the death penalty,” he added. President Trump warned Iran against executing citizens amid the protests last month. Türk, in his speech Friday, said there has been a “new wave of protests at universities, making it clear that the underlying grievances remain.” He added that hundreds of people remain missing, calling the overall situation in Iran “volatile.” Türk said he was “extremely alarmed” about the possibility of “ regional military escalation .” He called on “the voice of reason” to prevail. U.S. and Iranian diplomats held talks mediated in Oman on Thursday that yielded “ significant progress ,” Omani Foreign Minister Badr al-Busaidi described. Negotiations have focused on Iran’s nuclear program, but al-Busaidi said Iran offered to stop stockpiling enriched uranium as part of a deal. “Now we are talking about zero stockpiling and that is very, very important because if you cannot stockpile material that is enriched, then there is no way you can actually create a bomb,” al-Busaidi told Margaret Brennan of CBS News’s “Face the Nation.” International nuclear inspectors could then inspect Iran’s facilities. Iran currently has a stockpile of between 300 and 400 kilograms of 60 percent-enriched uranium, which experts warn can be converted into a nuclear weapon. Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said Thursday’s talks ended with a “mutual understanding that we will continue to engage in a more detailed manner” on various issues central to the negotiations, namely the nuclear program but also “sanctions termination.” But Araghchi also said, without elaboration, that the U.S. needs to drop its “ excessive demands ” amid talks. The positivity has not translated to the White House, where Trump said he is not happy with the direction of the negotiations and has not made a final decision on if he will strike Iran. Trump has threatened to strike Iran militarily during the protests last month, and last week he gave the country a 10-day timeline, ending Sunday, to come back to the negotiating table with a deal. “It would be nice if we could do it without, but sometimes you have to do it with,” Trump told reporters Friday before leaving the White House for an event in Texas. “We have the greatest military anywhere in the world, there’s nothing close. I’d love not to use it, but sometimes you have to.” Add as preferred source on Google Tags Abbas Araghchi Donald Trump Margaret Brennan Copyright 2026 Nexstar Media Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Share ✕ LinkedIn LinkedIn Email Email More International News See All International Trump says he is ‘not happy’ with the Iran nuclear talks but indicates he’ll give them more time by SAM MEDNICK, MICHELLE L. PRICE and MATTHEW LEE, Associated Press 2 hours ago International  /  2 hours ago