A senior Iranian official says at least 5,000 people have died in the protests rocking the country. Among those killed are said to be some 500 members of the security forces.
The official, who declined to be named because of the sensitivity of the issue, told Reuters on Sunday that "terrorists and armed rioters" were responsible for killing "innocent Iranians".
He said some of the heaviest clashes and highest death tolls occurred in Kurdish areas in northwest Iran, where separatist groups have been active.
"The final toll is not expected to increase sharply," the official said, adding that "Israel and armed groups abroad" had supported and equipped those involved in the protests.
Iranian authorities have not published an official nationwide death toll. Rights groups have reported significantly lower figures.
The U.S.-based Human Rights Activists News Agency (HRANA) said on Saturday it had verified 3,090 deaths, including 2,885 protesters.
HRANA later said the toll had risen to 3,308, with another 4,382 cases under review, and confirmed more than 24,000 arrests.
The protests erupted on 28 December over economic hardship before spreading nationwide and evolving into calls for an end to clerical rule in the Islamic Republic. Demonstrations were reported in dozens of cities, including Tehran, Isfahan, Mashhad and Tabriz, before a sweeping security crackdown followed.
Residents said the crackdown appeared to have largely quelled protests. Several people in Tehran told Reuters the capital had been comparatively quiet for four days, although drones were seen flying overhead. There were no signs of major demonstrations on Thursday or Friday.
A resident in a northern city on the Caspian Sea also described calm streets. Those contacted asked not to be identified for safety reasons.
Internet monitoring group NetBlocks said there had been a "very slight rise" in connectivity after around 200 hours of shutdown, though access remained at roughly 2% of normal levels.
Iran has repeatedly restricted internet access during periods of unrest, but analysts say the scale and duration of the latest blackout are among the most severe in recent years, severely limiting the flow of information and protesters’ ability to organise.
Some Iranians living overseas said on social media they had briefly been able to contact people inside the country early on Saturday, before connectivity dropped again.
The Iranian Kurdish rights group Hengaw, based in Norway, said some of the deadliest clashes during the unrest took place in Kurdish regions in the northwest.
Iran’s prosecutor general has said detainees would face severe punishment, describing them as people who "aided rioters and terrorists attacking security forces and public property".
"All perpetrators are mohareb," state media quoted Mohammad Movahedi Azad as saying, using an Islamic legal term meaning to wage war against God, which is punishable by death under Iranian law.
In comments reported by Iranian state media on Saturday, Khamenei said Iran would not be dragged into war but would punish what he described as domestic and international "criminals".
"We consider the U.S. president criminal for the casualties, damages and slander he inflicted on the Iranian nation," he said.
Trump, who has repeatedly warned of "very strong action" if Iran executed protesters, said on social media that Iranian leaders had cancelled more than 800 planned executions.
He did not provide evidence for the claim, and Iranian authorities said there was "no plan to hang people".
The United Nations has urged Iran to respect the right to peaceful protest and restore full internet access amid international concern over the scale of the crackdown.
Reuters has not been able to independently verify casualty figures or details of the disturbances reported by Iranian officials and rights groups.
Pakistan says it carried out air strikes on 10 locations in Afghanistan on Thursday, targeting sites it said were used to store and launch drones, ...
Here’s your AnewZ Daily Brief for 24 September 2026, with five key developments from the second day of the 81st United Nations General Assemb...
A federal judge ordered U.S. President Donald Trump on Thursday to restore White House access for journalists from CNN, MS NOW, and Politico, sayin...
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio is set to meet Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov in New York on Wednesday, as Washington pushes for an end to the war in Ukraine and Kyiv and Moscow continue to strike energy infrastructure.
U.S. President Donald Trump is addressing the UN General Assembly as world leaders gather in New York for the 81st session. Conflicts in the Middle East and Ukraine, global security and diplomacy set to dominate the event.
As the Ukraine war is highlighted by some leaders during the United Nations' 81st General Assembly meeting in New York, Russian forces attacked the Ukrainian capital Kyiv early on Thursday with ballistic missiles, killing two people and injuring six, Mayor Vitali Klitschko said.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Kyiv was ready to halt strikes on Russian energy facilities if Moscow stops targeting Ukraine’s energy sector, critical infrastructure, and food exports, as he prepared to meet U.S. President Donald Trump in New York.
U.S. President Donald Trump said his team held a three-hour meeting with an Iranian delegation in New York that he described as “very good” and “productive”, with another round of talks scheduled soon.
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian has accused U.S. President Donald Trump of having a “bullying mentality” at the United Nations General Assembly meeting in New York as Tehran and Washington remain divided over ending the war, despite holding their first indirect talks in months.
ICTWEEK Uzbekistan 2026 is putting foreign investment in the country’s technology sector under the spotlight. More than 2,000 foreign guests and investors are taking part in this year’s event, alongside more than 200 international and local IT companies and 30 venture funds.
Uzbekistan is expanding its digital government system, with thousands of state functions set to move online in the coming years, as digital government takes focus at ICTWEEK Uzbekistan 2026 in Tashkent.
Iran has confirmed holding indirect talks with the U.S., mediated by Qatar, on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly in New York on Tuesday, reiterating Tehran’s conditions for de-escalating tensions.
U.S. President Donald Trump’s Board of Peace is set to unveil a six-month, $2.45 billion recovery plan for Gaza on Wednesday, covering housing, infrastructure, healthcare and security, Axios reported.
You can download the AnewZ application from Play Store and the App Store.
What is your opinion on this topic?
Leave the first comment