The death toll from protests in Iran has reached 2,571, the U.S.-based HRANA rights group said on Wednesday, as the Islamic Republic has been facing, what observers and politicians call, the biggest wave of popular dissent in years and an existential threat to the regime in Tehran.
HRANA said it had so far verified the deaths of 2,403 protesters, 147 government-affiliated individuals, 12 people aged under 18 and nine non-protest civilians.
An Iranian official said on Tuesday about 2,000 people had been killed, the first time authorities have given an overall death toll from more than two weeks of nationwide unrest, according to Reuters.
Also the American State Department says 10600 Iranians were arrested over protesting and that it has information, executions are to follow as soon as Wednesday.
After a series of previous warnings directed at Tehran, regarding the way authorities act against protesters, American president Donald Trump issued an outright threat to the Islamic Republic, encouraging Iranian protesters to continue their actions and promising help was on the way.
Asked, on Tuesday, what he meant by “help is on its way”, Trump told reporters they would have to figure that out. Trump has said military action is among the options he is weighing to punish Iran over the crackdown.
“The killing looks like it’s significant, but we don’t know yet for certain,” said Trump
President Trump added he would know more after receiving a report, due on Tuesday evening about the Iran protests. “We’ll act accordingly,” he said.
The U.S. State Department on Tuesday urged American citizens to leave Iran now including by land through Turkey or Armenia.
Iranian officials, however, have accused U.S. and Israel of being the behind the courtains actors fueling violence in the country and claimed the deaths of protesters were not by the hand of security forces but by “terrorist operatives” coordinated from outside.
Trump had already announced 25% import tariffs on products from any country doing business with Iran – a major oil exporter.
China, which buys much of Iran’s oil exports, swiftly criticized the move.
Also several countries in the region warned against a potential American military action in Iran.
In a phone call on Saturday, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio discussed the possibility of U.S. intervention in Iran, according to an Israeli source present for the conversation, according to Reuters.
Iran vowed to retaliate against any attack by targeting Israel and U.S. bases and ships.
The unrest, sparked by dire economic conditions, has posed the biggest internal challenge to Iran’s rulers for at least three years and has come at a time of intensifying international pressure on Iran over its nuclear and ballistic missiles programs.
Trump said he cancelled all meetings with Iranian officials until the “senseless killing” of protesters stopped and in a later comment told Iranians to “save the name of the killers and the abusers … because they’ll pay a very big price.”
Lately, Iranian officials have intensified diplomatic contacts in the region in the past few days, holding calls with Qatar, Turkish, and Iraqi officials. Also, last week, amidst protests in the streets, Omani FM held talks with his counterpart in Tehran.
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi had spoken with his counterpart in the United Arab Emirates, the Iranian foreign ministry said on Wednesday. The Arab Gulf country is one of Iran’s biggest trading partner, but also a close ally to both the U.S. and Israel.
According to the Iranian press, Abbas Araqchi told Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed al-Nahyan that “calm has prevailed thanks to the vigilance of the people and law enforcement forces” and Iranians are determined to defend their national sovereignty and security against any foreign interference.
On Tuesday, Araqchi had spoken with France’s Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot, and called on him to condemn “foreign interventionist in the internal affairs” of Iran.
Several European countries, including France, have called on the Iranian ambassadors in their capitals, to give explanations on the reports of crackdown and internet blackout, in place for almost a week in Iran.
The protests began on December 28 last year, over the fall in value of Iran’s rial currency and have grown into wider demonstrations and calls for the fall of the clerical establishment.
Iran’s chief justice Gholamhossein Mohseni Ejei said on Wednesday, during a visit to one of Tehran prisons where people arrested in protests are being held, that speed in punishing those “who beheaded or burned people” was critical to ensure that such events would not take place again.
