Iran Protest Death Toll Reaches At Least 544 As Crackdown Intensifies

At least 544 people have been killed in nearly two weeks of protests across Iran, activists said, as demonstrations continue despite an internet blackout and mass arrests, raising fears of a widening and more violent crackdown by the authorities.

According to Associate Press, the death toll was reported by the US-based Human Rights Activists News Agency, which said 496 of those killed were protesters and 48 were members of the security forces. The group also said more than 10,600 people have been detained since the protests began. It relies on a network of sources inside Iran who crosscheck information, and has been considered reliable during previous unrest.

The demonstrations erupted on December 28 after the Iranian rial collapsed to more than 1.4 million to the dollar, under the pressure of sanctions linked partly to Iran’s nuclear programme. What began as economic protests has since evolved into open challenges to Iran’s clerical leadership, with crowds repeatedly returning to the streets of major cities despite arrests and violence.

With internet access cut and phone lines disrupted, it has become increasingly difficult to independently assess the scale of the unrest from outside the country. Associate Press reported that it has been unable to verify casualty figures independently, and Iranian authorities have not released any overall toll. Rights groups and Iranians abroad fear the communications blackout has given hard-liners within the security apparatus greater latitude to intensify the crackdown.

Protests were reported late Saturday into Sunday in Tehran and Mashhad, Iran’s second-largest city, with further demonstrations appearing to continue into Sunday night and Monday. Online videos circulating from Iran, some believed to have been transmitted via Starlink satellite connections, showed protesters gathering in northern Tehran’s Punak neighbourhood, waving lit mobile phones after streets appeared to be blocked by authorities. Other footage showed people banging metal objects as fireworks exploded nearby.

In Mashhad, videos purported to show demonstrators confronting security forces, while smaller protests were also reported in Kerman, in southeastern Iran. Iranian state television broadcast footage on Sunday morning from what it described as calm streets in several cities, displaying date stamps on screen, though it did not include images from Tehran or Mashhad. A Tehran official acknowledged continued protests in comments carried by state media.

The rising death toll and unrest have unfolded against escalating international tensions. US President Donald Trump said on Sunday that Iran had proposed negotiations following his public threats of action over the crackdown, even as his administration weighs a range of possible responses. Speaking to reporters aboard Air Force One, Trump said: “The military is looking at it, and we’re looking at some very strong options.” He added: “If they do that, we will hit them at levels that they’ve never been hit before.”

Trump said talks were being arranged but suggested action could come first. “The meeting is being set up, but we may have to act because of what’s happening before the meeting,” he said, adding: “Iran called, they want to negotiate.” There was no immediate confirmation from Tehran of any such outreach.

Iranian leaders, meanwhile, issued warnings of their own. In a speech to parliament, hard-line speaker Mohammad Baagher Qalibaf said the US military and Israel would be “legitimate targets” if force was used against Iran. Referring to Israel as “the occupied territory”, he said: “In the event of an attack on Iran, both the occupied territory and all American military centers, bases and ships in the region will be our legitimate targets.” Lawmakers responded by chanting: “Death to America!”

It remains unclear how serious Iran is about launching a strike, particularly after its air defences were heavily damaged during a 12-day conflict with Israel in June. Any decision to escalate militarily would ultimately rest with Iran’s 86-year-old Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.

The US military said it is “postured with forces that span the full range of combat capability” in the Middle East to defend its interests and allies. Iran previously targeted US forces at Al Udeid Air Base in Qatar in June, while the US Navy’s Fifth Fleet remains based in Bahrain.

Israel is closely monitoring developments, according to an Israeli official who spoke on condition of anonymity. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu discussed Iran with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio overnight. “The people of Israel, the entire world, are in awe of the tremendous heroism of the citizens of Iran,” Netanyahu said.

International concern has continued to mount. At the Vatican, Pope Leo XIV said Iran was among places “where ongoing tensions continue to claim many lives”, expressing hope that “dialogue and peace may be patiently nurtured”. Demonstrations in support of Iranian protesters were held in several international capitals. A spokesperson for UN Secretary-General António Guterres said he was “shocked” by reports of violence against protesters and urged Iranian authorities to show restraint and restore communications, Associate Press reported.

(With inputs from AP)