Iran Officials Claim Around 2,000 Deaths in Nationwide Protests Amid Brutal Crackdown

An Iranian official has reportedly confirmed for the first time that approximately 2,000 people, including security personnel, have died during two weeks of intense nationwide protests, according to a report by news agencies.

The unnamed official attributed the fatalities—among both protesters and security forces—to what he described as "terrorists" who had hijacked the demonstrations. No specific breakdown of civilian versus security deaths was provided.

The unrest, which erupted over severe economic hardships including soaring inflation, currency devaluation, and widespread hardship, represents the most significant domestic challenge to Iran's clerical leadership since at least 2022. It has unfolded against a backdrop of heightened international tensions following U.S. and Israeli military actions last year.

Iranian authorities have adopted a mixed stance: acknowledging the legitimacy of economic grievances while launching a severe security response. Officials have repeatedly blamed the United States and Israel for instigating the unrest and claimed that "terrorist" elements have exploited the situation to incite violence.

Independent rights groups, operating from outside Iran due to severe information restrictions, have previously reported hundreds of deaths and thousands of arrests. An internet blackout and communications curbs in recent days have severely limited the verification of casualty figures and the dissemination of footage.

Verified videos shared with Reuters have depicted nighttime clashes involving gunfire, burning vehicles, and damaged buildings as demonstrators confronted security forces.

The official's disclosure marks a rare admission from Tehran of the scale of the violence, though opposition sources and some exile media have suggested even higher tolls—potentially in the thousands or more—amid claims of a major escalation in killings over recent nights.

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