"Tension in Iran is not increasing," Tharoor says 'good signs' are emerging from region

Thiruvananthapuram (Kerala) [India], January 17 (ANI): Congress MP Shashi Tharoor on Sunday said that a good sign in the case of Iran is that the regime has cancelled executions of protesters.
Addressing reporters here, Tharoor said that even US President Donald Trump has lowered his tone and has cancelled plans of any airstrikes on Iran.
"The evacuation is happening, the same time tension, as far as I know, is not increasing. I know that we don't have access to the latest information because the internet has been cut by the authorities. But two good signs we've heard are that the authorities have cancelled the executions of over 800 people that they had announced previously. That's a very good sign," he said.
Tharoor added that this might also be a sign of a cooling of the flares of tension that had gripped the region.
"And Mr. Trump has also said that he is holding off on any strikes for the moment. I think in some ways it's a hopeful sign that we will see a dialing down of tension because I would not be surprised if all the countries in the neighborhood, the Gulf countries particularly some of the ones that could be at the receiving end of any disorder in Iran, refugees crossing over the Gulf into the Gulf countries and into other neighboring countries in the region," he said.
He added that none of the countries would want attacks and there's anxiety of letting the situation spiral out of control.
"I think they would all want some calm and order and would not want strikes, would not want attacks. But there's also probably some anxiety about the geopolitical implications of allowing the situation to spiral out of control. So my gut feeling at the moment is we may have turned a corner. We'll have to see," he said.
Tharoor said that although the world is not able to access 100% information from Iran due to internet shutdown, the toning down of language from White House is an indicator in itself.
"And as I said, we are not recipients of 100% accurate information, but there are reports that the street protests are dying down and that the executions have been stopped and that in turn the White House is also calming down in the same language of threats and so on that we have heard of possible strikes. That is not good. So unless you are privy to new developments, would not say that tensions are increasing. I would say that tensions are decreasing. That is good for the people of Iran, for all of us," he said.
When asked about the Gaza peace plan entering the second phase, Tharoor sounded somewhat skeptical, as he pointed at news coming from the region where people are still dying.
"Well, look, you know, the Gaza peace has now entered a so-called second phase, but unfortunately there are still continuing attacks, so people are still dying in Gaza every day. There headlines coming out of that. So it's not a peace for everyone yet," he said.
Tharoor said that there are no accurate reports that suggest Hamas disarmament.
"Secondly, we still don't have any accurate word about the progress in coming to the so-called disarmament of Hamas or so far, so they will not disarm, but they will hand over authority to a tech-property council. I think all I can say is we have to watch and grit. It's an extremely tense situation. It is by no means a normal, tranquil, peacetime situation yet. But let's hope we get there, because the people of Gaza have suffered enough," he said.
Meanwhile, US President Donald Trump issued a new demand for Hamas disarmament.
"Hamas must IMMEDIATELY honor its commitments, including the return of the final body to Israel, and proceed without delay to full Demilitarization," Trump wrote in a Truth Social post. "As I have said before, they can do this the easy way, or the hard way." (ANI)