Iran Protests Death Toll Rises as Crackdown Continues

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (Journos News) – A U.S.-based activist group has reported that at least 3,919 people have died during recent protests in Iran, marking one of the deadliest waves of unrest in decades. The Human Rights Activists News Agency (HRANA) raised its previous estimate of 3,308 fatalities, citing its network of local activists who verify each reported death. Independent confirmation of the toll remains limited.

The protests, which began on December 28 over Iran’s struggling economy, have seen security forces respond with lethal force. HRANA also reported that more than 24,600 people have been arrested in connection with the demonstrations, reflecting the scale of the government crackdown. The unrest has drawn comparisons to the turmoil surrounding the 1979 Iranian revolution.

Iranian officials have not publicly disclosed a detailed death toll. On Saturday, Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei referred to the casualties as “several thousand” and attributed the unrest to foreign interference, particularly by the United States. Iranian authorities have consistently accused external actors, including the U.S. and Israel, of inciting the protests.

U.S.-Iran Tensions Escalate

The protests have further strained relations between Tehran and Washington. Former U.S. President Donald Trump threatened military action against Iran if authorities continued killing demonstrators. He also encouraged protesters by stating that “help is on the way,” though he later praised Iran for reportedly canceling the executions of over 800 detainees.

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian defended the government’s stance on X (formerly Twitter), citing longstanding international sanctions and accusing foreign powers of exacerbating domestic hardships. “Any aggression against the Supreme Leader of our country is tantamount to all-out war against the Iranian nation,” he said.

Trump criticized Khamenei directly in a recent interview, calling him a “sick man” and urging an end to his nearly four-decade rule, while Khamenei labeled Trump a “criminal” and accused the United States of using protesters as “foot soldiers.”

Lives in Limbo as Executions Postponed

Reports have emerged of delayed executions amid international scrutiny. Erfan Soltani, a 26-year-old protester detained in Karaj, northwest of Tehran, had his execution postponed. A relative, speaking on condition of anonymity, said Soltani remained in good physical health and appealed for global support for his release.

Although large-scale protests have subsided in recent days, some citizens continue to express dissent from their homes, chanting anti-Khamenei slogans across Tehran, Shiraz, and Isfahan. Authorities have maintained tight control over digital communications, briefly restoring limited internet access on Saturday. Domestic websites and partial services like Google have resumed, but email and many online platforms remain restricted.

The HRANA report underscores the scale of the crackdown and the continued volatility in Iran. Analysts caution that while public demonstrations have decreased, discontent remains widespread and may resurface if economic and political grievances persist.