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An Iranian official in the region said on Sunday that authorities had verified that at least 5,000 people had been killed in protests in Iran, including about 500 security personnel, and blamed “terrorists and armed rioters” for killing “innocent Iranians”.
Nationwide protests erupted on December 28 over economic hardship and swelled over two weeks into widespread demonstrations calling for the end of clerical rule, resulting in the deadliest unrest since Iran’s 1979 Islamic Revolution.
U.S. President Donald Trump has repeatedly threatened to intervene if protesters continued to be killed on the streets or were executed. In a social media post last Friday, he thanked Tehran’s leaders, saying they had called off scheduled executions of 800 people.
A day later, Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei in a public speech branded Trump a “criminal” for the casualties he said were inflicted on Iran by supporting protesters. “We will not drag the country into war, but we will not let domestic or international criminals go unpunished,” Khamenei said, acknowledging “several thousand deaths” that he blamed on “terrorists and rioters” linked to the U.S. and Israel.
Iran’s judiciary also indicated that executions may go ahead. “‘A series of actions have been identified as Mohareb,” which is among the most severe Islamic punishments, Iranian judiciary spokesperson Asghar Jahangir told a press conference. Mohareb—an Islamic legal term meaning to wage war against God—is punishable by death under Iranian law.
Trump said in an interview with Politico on Saturday: “It’s time to look for new leadership in Iran.”
The U.S.-based rights group HRANA said on Saturday the death toll had reached 3,308, with another 4,382 cases under review. It said it had confirmed more than 24,000 arrests.
The Iranian official said the verified death toll was unlikely to “increase sharply,” adding “Israel and armed groups abroad” had supported and equipped those taking to the streets. The clerical establishment regularly blames unrest on foreign enemies, including the U.S. and Israel, an arch foe of the Islamic Republic.
Internet blackouts have complicated getting information out of Iran, with reports that the disruptions have been partially lifted at times but eventually reimposed.
Reuters