Iran protests: More than 2,000 people reported killed as Trump says ‘help is on its way’

More than 2,000 people have been killed during a violent crackdown by security forces on protests in Iran, a human rights group has stated, as President Trump promised Iranians that help was "on its way." The US-based Human Rights Activists News Agency (HRANA) reported that it had confirmed the killing of 1,850 protesters, 135 government-affiliated individuals, nine uninvolved civilians, and nine children over the past 17 days, despite an internet blackout. An Iranian official also told Reuters that 2,000 people had been killed, but attributed the deaths to "terrorists."

President Trump declared that Iranian authorities would "pay a big price" for the killings and urged citizens to "keep protesting." He has been considering military and other options in response to the crackdown, having already announced 25% tariffs on any country trading with Iran. The protests, which have reportedly spread to 180 cities and towns across all 31 provinces, were initially ignited by anger over the collapse of the Iranian currency and soaring living costs. They rapidly evolved into demands for political change, becoming one of the most significant challenges to the clerical establishment since the 1979 Islamic revolution. The protests escalated significantly last Thursday and were met with deadly force by authorities, masked by a near-total shutdown of the internet and communication services.

HRANA announced on Tuesday afternoon that, in addition to confirming at least 2,003 deaths during the unrest, it was reviewing reports of another 779 fatalities. "We’re horrified, but we still think the number is conservative," Deputy Director Skylar Thompson told the Associated Press. Meanwhile, another group, Norway-based Iran Human Rights (IHR), reported confirming the deaths of at least 734 protesters. Its director, Mahmood Amiry-Moghaddam, informed the AFP news agency that these figures were "based on information received from fewer than half of the country’s provinces and fewer than 10% of Iran’s hospitals," adding, "The real number of those killed is likely in the thousands." Reuters noted that the unnamed Iranian official who cited a death toll of approximately 2,000 did not provide a breakdown of the figure. However, he did state that "terrorists" were responsible for the deaths of both protesters and security personnel.

It remains challenging to ascertain the true scale of the bloodshed, as the BBC, like other international news organizations, is unable to report from within the country. Nevertheless, videos posted online on Sunday depicted individuals searching for the bodies of their loved ones at the Kahrizak Forensic Centre in Tehran. The BBC counted at least 180 shrouded bodies and body bags in the footage. Approximately 50 bodies were visible in another video from the facility shared on Monday. "My friend went there [Kahrizak] to look for his brother, and he forgot his own sorrow," an activist told BBC Persian on Monday. "They piled up bodies from every neighborhood, like Saadatabad, Naziabad, Sattarkhan. So you go to your address pile and search there. You don’t know a fraction of the level of violence that’s been used." Hospitals in the capital have also reportedly been overwhelmed by the number of casualties.

Professor Shahram Kordasti, an Iranian oncologist based in London, told the BBC’s Newsday programme on Tuesday that the last message he received from a colleague in Tehran stated: "In most hospitals, it’s like a warzone. We are short of supplies, short of blood." He added that other doctors at "two to three hospitals" had also reported treating hundreds of injured or deceased individuals. An Iranian residing in Rasht, near the Caspian Sea coast, described the city as unrecognizable. "Everywhere is burnt with fire," they said.

Shortly after HRANA released its latest death toll, President Trump posted on Truth Social: "Iranian Patriots, KEEP PROTESTING – TAKE OVER YOUR INSTITUTIONS!!! Save the names of the killers and abusers. They will pay a big price." He continued, "I have cancelled all meetings with Iranian Officials until the senseless killing of protesters STOPS. HELP IS ON ITS WAY. MIGA!!!," employing the acronym for a US-based Iranian opposition slogan, "Make Iran Great Again." Trump’s national security team was scheduled to convene at the White House on Tuesday to deliberate on options concerning Iran. On Monday night, US defense officials informed CBS News, the BBC’s US partner, that Trump had been briefed on a broad spectrum of covert and military tools, including long-range missile strikes, cyber operations, and psychological campaign responses.

Concurrently, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi told Al Jazeera that Iran was prepared for diplomacy but also for other options, including "if the US wanted to test the military option which it had tested in the past." In June, the US conducted air strikes on key Iranian nuclear facilities during a 12-day conflict between Iran and Israel. Araghchi also asserted that the Iranian government had engaged in dialogue with protesters, but was compelled to take action after "trained terrorist groups" operating from abroad infiltrated the demonstrations and targeted security forces. His remarks echoed those of the Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who told supporters at state-organized rallies across the country on Monday that they had "neutralized the plans by foreign enemies that were meant to be performed by domestic mercenaries."

On Tuesday, UK Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper summoned the Iranian ambassador to protest what she termed "the horrendous and brutal killing of Iranian protesters." The UN human rights chief, Volker Türk, urged Iranian authorities to immediately halt all forms of violence and repression against peaceful protesters, his office stated. He further emphasized that labeling protesters as "terrorists" to justify violence was unacceptable and expressed extreme concern over statements from Iranian officials indicating the potential use of the death penalty against protesters through expedited trials. Judiciary chief Gholamhossein Mohseni Ejei declared on Monday that those involved in the unrest would be "dealt with seriously and severely." Prosecutors have indicated that some will be charged with "enmity against God," a national security offense punishable by death.

According to HRANA, over 16,780 protesters have been arrested during the unrest. A 26-year-old man detained last Thursday has reportedly already been sentenced to death, according to his family and the Norway-based Kurdish human rights group Hengaw. A relative of Erfan Soltani’s family informed BBC Persian that "in an extremely rapid process, within just two days, the court issued a death sentence, and the family was told that he is due to be executed [this] Wednesday." "We have never witnessed a case move so quickly," Awyar Shekhi of Hengaw told the BBC. "The government is using every tactic they know to suppress people and spread fear." Speaking to CBS later on Tuesday, Trump stated that the US would take "very strong action" if Iran’s authorities began hanging protesters. "If they hang them, you’re going to see some things… We will take very strong action if they do such a thing," he said.

Türk also demanded that Iranian authorities restore full internet access and other communication services. Some international calls from Iran were re-established on Tuesday, but the internet shutdown has now surpassed 120 hours, according to monitor NetBlocks. An individual living near Tehran, with access via the Starlink satellite service, told BBC Persian that "checkpoints in every block" were in place, where security forces were inspecting cars and the phones of their occupants. Recent videos of protests have also emerged, with BBC Persian verifying footage filmed in the central city of Arak and the western cities of Tabriz, Urmia, and Khorramabad. In the footage from Khorramabad, gunfire can be heard during clashes between security forces and protesters, some of whom are throwing stones. The protesters chant slogans such as "Death to the dictator," a reference to Ayatollah Khamenei, and "Reza Shah, may your soul rest in peace," referring to the late monarch Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, who was overthrown in the 1979 revolution and whose son, Reza, lives in exile.