Violent protests on the streets of Iran have claimed at least 2,571lives so far, said activists on Wednesday, with 2,403 of the dead being protesters and 147 security officers.
US-based Human Rights Activists News Agency also said there were 12 children killed who were not a part of the protests, while more than 18,100 people are now in detention.
Although the authorities in Tehran relaxed some restrictions and allowed international phone calls on Tuesday, a clampdown on the internet services remained in place, making it more difficult for the world outside Iran to gauge the extent of the crackdown. But, Iran’s government has offered a casualty figure that puts protest-related deaths at nearly 2,000.
Meanwhile, US President Donald Trump has been keeping a close eye on the goings-on, although he is said to have not taken a decision on a possible military action by the US in Iran. On Tuesday, Trump asked protesters to stay put and “seize” more cities while “help is on the way”.
Qatari and Iranian officials have also spoken, as stated by Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani, Qatar’s prime minister, who said on Tuesday he spoke by phone with Ali Larijani, secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council, on de-escalation efforts.
In a statement on X, Al Thani said he “reaffirmed the State of Qatar’s backing of all de-escalation efforts, as well as peaceful solutions to enhance security and stability in the region.”
Qatar had got caught in the crossfire during Israel’s 12-day war in June when the Islamic Republic retaliated on US airstrikes on its nuclear facility by targeting US forces at Al Udeid Air Base outside of Doha.
Also Read: Keep protesting, help is coming: Trump tells Iranian protesters
Following threats of striking Iran, Trump also seems to have made an abrupt shift about his willingness to engage with the Iranian government. While acknowledging that the killings of protesters is “significant” and that his administration would “act accordingly”, he called on Tehran to “show humanity”.
“The message is they’ve got to show humanity,” Trump said of the Iranian government. “They’ve got a big problem. And I hope they’re not going to be killing people.”
This came after his announcement to Iranian citizens about “help” being “on its way”. “Iranian Patriots, keep protesting and take over your institutions if you can,” Trump had said in speech Tuesday at an auto factory in Michigan. “Save the names of the killers and abusers that are abusing you. You are being very badly abused.”
Iranian state media has aired at least 97 confessions from protesters, many expressing remorse for their actions, since the protests began, according to a rights group that is tracking the videos. However, human rights activists say the confessions are coerced.
Since the protests began on Dec 28, 16,700 people have been arrested and more than 2,000 have been killed, the vast majority protesters, according to Human Rights Activists News Agency.
The demonstrations are the biggest Iran has seen in years – protests spurred by the collapse of Iranian currency that have morphed into a larger test of supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei’s repressive rule.
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