Iranian envoy: Trump told Tehran he does not intend to attack

US President Donald Trump had "informed" Iran that he "will not attack the country," but called for restraint, an Iranian envoy said Thursday, according to the Dawn, a Pakistani daily.

Iran's Ambassador to Islamabad Reza Amiri Moghadam said he "received information at around 1am, which indicated that Trump did not want war and had asked Iran not to attack the US interests in the region," the daily reported.

Speculation was high since Wednesday that the Trump administration could launch an attack on Iran after reports said the US had begun drawing down personnel from its military bases in the Middle East and Washington advised American citizens on Monday to leave Iran without delay.

Trump had threatened to punish Tehran amid reports of casualties in Iran during anti-government protests.

However, the US president has softened his rhetoric toward Iran during remarks at the White House late Wednesday.

Trump said he had been informed that executions in Iran had stopped, but warned that "if something like that happens, we will all be saddened."

Iranian government officials have accused the US and Israel of backing what they describe as "riots" and "terrorism" amid the ongoing protests.

While the Iranian authorities have not released official figures on casualties or detainees, the US-based Human Rights Activists News Agency (HRANA) estimates that more than 2,600 people have been killed, including protesters and security personnel.