Iran’s protest death toll has reached at least 5,000 people, including about 500 security personnel, according to an Iranian official who described the figures as verified. Human rights groups have reported different totals, and some outlets describe the crackdown as a “massacre” carried out during a wide communications blackout.
The Iranian official blamed “terrorists and armed rioters” for killing “innocent Iranians,” while also alleging that “Israel and armed groups abroad” supported and equipped people in the streets. Separate reporting quotes Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei accusing the United States and Israel of links to the violence and saying “those connected to Israel and the US” caused damage and the deaths of thousands.
Official toll vs rights group figures
The Iranian official said authorities had verified at least 5,000 deaths and suggested the figure was unlikely to “sharply increase.” HRANA, a U.S.-based rights organization, reported 3,308 deaths, with another 4,382 cases under review, and said it had confirmed more than 24,000 arrests.
Channel News Asia reported that human rights organisations put the death toll at more than 5,000 and estimated that up to 20,000 people have been detained. These figures differ across sources, and the gap highlights how hard it has been to independently confirm information during the communications restrictions described in multiple reports.
Protests that escalated nationwide
The protests began on Dec. 28 over economic hardship and then expanded into broader demonstrations, including calls for an end to clerical rule, according to reporting that described the unrest as the deadliest since Iran’s 1979 Islamic revolution. Reports also said the crackdown that followed appears to have reduced the intensity of protests, with residents and state media describing the rallies as having largely subsided.
One account cited in coverage described riot police firing directly at a group of mostly young protesters. Another account, from a resident in a northwestern town, claimed there were armed individuals disguised as protesters who shot at civilians and carried weapons.
Internet blackout and brief restoration
Limited internet access briefly returned in Iran before dropping again, according to NetBlocks, during what Channel News Asia described as a communications blackout that began on Jan. 8. NetBlocks said traffic levels fell after a “brief, heavily filtered restoration of select Google and messaging services.”
Some users reported access to WhatsApp, and Channel News Asia reported that outgoing international calls had resumed since Tuesday and text messaging was restored on Saturday. The same report said Iran’s president, Masoud Pezeshkian, told a cabinet meeting he recommended lifting internet restrictions as soon as possible.
Channel News Asia also reported that Fars News Agency said the chief executive of Irancell, Iran’s second-largest mobile phone operator, was dismissed for failing to comply with the government’s decision to shut down the internet. It added that schools reopened on Sunday after a week of closure and that solidarity demonstrations continued in cities including Berlin, London, and Paris.
Execution fears and international pressure
Iran’s judiciary indicated executions may still proceed, with judiciary spokesperson Asghar Jahangir saying “a series of actions have been identified as Mohareb,” which reporting described as among the most severe Islamic punishments. Coverage explained that “Mohareb” is a term meaning to wage war against God and carries the death penalty under Iranian law.
U.S. President Donald Trump has warned of possible intervention if killings of protesters continued or if executions were carried out, according to reporting. The same coverage said Trump posted that he thanked Tehran’s leaders and claimed they had called off scheduled executions of 800 people, and later told Politico that “it’s time to look for new leadership in Iran.”
Khamenei, in remarks cited by multiple reports, called Trump a “criminal” and linked the unrest to forces connected to the U.S. and Israel, while also saying Iran would not be dragged into war but would not let “domestic or international criminals go unpunished.” He also said those linked to Israel and the U.S. caused major damage and the deaths of thousands during weeks of protests nationwide.
