Iranian authorities say 3,117 people, most of them civilians, were killed during weeks of unrest across the country, marking the first official death toll released since protests erupted late last year.
The figure was announced by the Foundation of Martyrs and Veterans Affairs, which said the data was compiled using information from the Iranian Legal Medicine Organization, a forensic body linked to the judiciary. Of those killed, 2,427 were civilians and security personnel, according to the statement.
The foundation described the deaths as resulting from what it called “terrorist incidents”, accusing armed groups of targeting bystanders and protesters through what it termed indiscriminate violence. It said some victims were passers-by, while others were protesters allegedly shot by “organised terrorist elements” within crowds.
The protests began in late December in Tehran before spreading to other cities, driven by worsening economic conditions, including sharp currency depreciation and rising inflation. Violence escalated weeks later following calls for demonstrations by Reza Pahlavi, the son of Iran’s former monarch.
Iranian officials have rejected higher casualty estimates published by some foreign-based human rights groups, which have claimed the death toll exceeds 15,000, mostly protesters. President Masoud Pezeshkian and Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi have described those figures as false.
Authorities have blamed the unrest on foreign interference, accusing the United States and Israel of backing what they describe as “rioters” and “terrorist groups”. Police say hundreds of people accused of organising violence have been arrested, while the judiciary has warned of strict punishment for those involved.
The announcement comes as the United States and several European countries imposed a new round of sanctions on Iran over what they called a crackdown on protesters. In response, Iranian diplomats were barred from the European Parliament, and Araghchi’s invitation to the World Economic Forum in Davos was withdrawn.
Following the release of the figures, Iran’s Supreme National Security Council said the unrest was part of what it described as a broader campaign by Washington and Tel Aviv to undermine social stability in Iran, a claim rejected by Western governments.
A torpedo from a U.S. submarine sunk an Iranian warship off the coast of Sri Lanka, U.S. Secretary of Defense, Pete Hegseth told reporters as ...
A U.S. submarine strike sank an Iranian warship off the coast of Sri Lanka, leaving at least 80 dead, the country&...
The election of Iran’s next supreme leader could provide an opportunity to end the ongoing regional war involving Israel, the U.S. and ...
U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth says the United States is making gains in its conflict with Iran after a key I...
The U.S. Department of Defense has released a video of a submarine strike on an Iranian warship off the southern Sri Lankan coast. At least 80 peop...
A U.S. submarine strike sank an Iranian warship off the coast of Sri Lanka, leaving at least 80 dead, the country’s deputy foreign minister said. Meanwhile, Iran postponed the funeral of its late Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, according to state media.
The election of Iran’s next supreme leader could provide an opportunity to end the ongoing regional war involving Israel, the U.S. and Iran, Türkiye’s Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan has said.
U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth says the United States is making gains in its conflict with Iran after a key Iranian naval target was destroyed, confirming that the strike was carried out by a U.S. submarine off the coast of Sri Lanka. Rescue efforts are now under way for the ship’s crew.
The U.S. Department of Defense has released a video of a submarine strike on an Iranian warship off the southern Sri Lankan coast. At least 80 people died in the U.S. attack on the vessel, Sri Lanka's Deputy Foreign Minister said.
U.S. President Donald Trump said the U.S. military has enough stockpiled weapons to fight wars "forever"; in a social media post late on Monday. The remarks came hours before conflict in Iran and the Middle East entered its fourth day.
U.S. first lady, Melania Trump chaired a UN Security Council meeting on children and education in conflict on Monday (2 March), a move criticised by Iran as hypocritical following U.S. and Israeli strikes that triggered a UN warning about risks to children.
A torpedo from a U.S. submarine sunk an Iranian warship off the coast of Sri Lanka, U.S. Secretary of Defense, Pete Hegseth told reporters as the Iranian conflcit entered its fifth day on Wednesday.
The U.S. embassy in Riyadh was hit by two drones resulting in a limited fire and some material damage, the kingdom's defence ministry said in a post on X on Tuesday, citing an initial assessment.
Shahid Motahari Sub-Speciality Hospital in northern Tehran and parts of the Golestan Palace were bombed on day two of the U.S.‑Israel strikes. AnewZ Touraj Shiralilou is in Iran's capital city and said that the facility was flattened in an airstrike.
U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth says the United States is making gains in its conflict with Iran after a key Iranian naval target was destroyed, confirming that the strike was carried out by a U.S. submarine off the coast of Sri Lanka. Rescue efforts are now under way for the ship’s crew.
Start your day informed with AnewZ Morning Brief. Here are the top news stories for the 4th of February, covering the latest developments you need to know.
Strikes across the Middle East are intensifying, fuelling travel disruption, driving up global energy prices and forcing diplomatic missions to shut their doors.
U.S. President Donald Trump has said the United States has a “virtually unlimited supply” of munitions and is capable of sustaining military action indefinitely, as the conflict with Iran entered its fourth day.
The United Nations has called for an investigation into a deadly attack on a girls’ primary school in Iran, which Iranian officials say has killed more than 100 children. The U.S. has said its forces “would not” deliberately target a school.
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