Iranian authorities have confirmed at least 5,000 deaths during protests in the country, including 500 security personnel members, blaming “terrorists and armed rioters” for the death of “innocent Iranians,” a country official who spoke to Reuters admitted. Around 500 of these were security forces members, he added.
Read: “Bombshell” Trump: “Iran is the worst place to live” – Demanded leadership change
Iran: Death toll from protests reaches 5,000, Iranian official reveals
The official refused to disclose his name due to the sensitive nature of the issue. As he told Reuters, some of the worst clashes with the highest death toll occurred in the Kurdish regions of northwestern Iran, an area where Kurdish separatists are active and where protests were more violent during previous periods of destabilization. He characteristically stated: “The final death toll is not expected to increase dramatically,” adding that “Israel and foreign armed forces” supported and armed those who took to the streets.
Yesterday, Saturday, the US-based human rights defense group HRANA stated that the death toll had reached 3,308, while another 4,382 cases are under investigation. The group reported that it has confirmed more than 24,000 arrests. Iranians speak of 10,000 to 12,000 deaths due to the brutal suppression attempt by the theocratic regime, while testimonies of torture and abusive behavior toward victims’ families are causing horror.
Khamenei: Trump is a “criminal”
Iran’s supreme leader, Ali Khamenei, stated on Saturday that the regime considers US President Donald Trump a “criminal” because he caused casualties, damage, and slandered the Iranian people during the protests. As he characteristically mentioned: “The latest anti-Iranian stance was different, as the US President became personally involved.”
According to data from US-based NGOs, protest deaths have exceeded 3,000, while unofficial data suggest over 10 to 12,000. “Those connected to Israel and the US caused enormous damage and killed thousands in the protests,” claimed Ayatollah Khamenei, warning: “We will not drag the country into war, but we will not leave internal or international criminals unpunished.”
Putin’s intervention
Russian President Vladimir Putin held talks on Saturday with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Iranian counterpart Masoud Pezeshkian in an attempt at rapid de-escalation of tensions, the Kremlin announced.
Moscow, Tehran’s ally, condemned US President Donald Trump’s threats for new military attacks, following the suppression of protests that erupted in late last month in Iran. Since the start of the war in Ukraine, Russia has sought closer ties with Iran, with Putin signing a 20-year strategic cooperation agreement with Pezeshkian last year. However, Moscow also maintains a long-standing cooperative relationship with Israel.
For now, the scenario of an American attack on Iran appears to be receding, although Donald Trump speaking to Politico raised the issue of new leadership in the country.
