Iran says 3,117 people killed during nationwide protests
Iran on Wednesday announced an official death toll of 3,117 from the nationwide anti‑government protests that erupted in late December amid worsening economic conditions and the depreciation of the national currency to a record level.
A statement by Iran’s Martyrs Foundation described 2,427 of those killed as "martyrs", saying they were members of the security forces or innocent bystanders, and said the rest were protesters.
Rights groups have accused security forces of firing directly on protesters, warning that the actual number of deaths could be far higher.
Amiry-Moghaddam, co-founder of the Oslo-based Iran Human Rights NGO, told Middle East Eye in a video interview early last week that police were taking "the wounded people and [shooting] them in in the head".
The US-based Human Rights Activists News Agency (Hrana) on Tuesday put the death toll at 4,519, including 4,251 protesters, 197 security personnel, 35 children and 38 bystanders, and said investigations are ongoing into 9,049 additional deaths.
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Hrana also said at least 26,314 people had been arrested and 5,811 others sustained serious injuries.
Iranian leaders have denied reports that security forces killed protesters, instead blaming the United States and Israel for fomenting what they describe as "riots".
Chief of staff of Iran’s armed forces, Abdolrahim Mousavi, accused the United States and Israel on Tuesday of deploying members of Islamic-State-like mercenaries inside the country to carry out attacks against civilians and security personnel, according to Anadolu Agency.
Meanwhile, Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps commander General Mohammad Pakpour on Thursday warned Israel and the US against "miscalculations" in the wake of mass protests, saying the force had its "finger on the trigger".
The commander's comments came as Israeli President Isaac Herzog called for regime change in Iran during a speech at the World Economic Forum in Davos.
US President Donald Trump, meanwhile, signalled talks with Iran, saying that the request came from Tehran and and that Washington was willing to do so.
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