The toll exceeds deaths from any Iranian unrest in decades and recalls chaos surrounding the 1979 Islamic Revolution, analysts said.
At least 2,571 people have died in Iran's ongoing protests, a US-based human rights group reported Wednesday, as authorities partially restored communications after days of nationwide blackout.
The Human Rights Activists News Agency said 2,403 protesters and 147 government-affiliated personnel were killed. Twelve children died, along with nine civilians not participating in demonstrations. More than 18,100 people have been detained, according to the organisation.
The toll exceeds deaths from any Iranian unrest in decades and recalls chaos surrounding the 1979 Islamic Revolution, analysts said.
Iranian state television acknowledged deaths for the first time Tuesday, quoting an official who said the country had "a lot of martyrs."
US President Donald Trump urged demonstrators Tuesday to continue. "Iranian patriots, keep protesting -- take over your instituations," Trump wrote on Truth Social. "I have cancelled all meetings with Iranian officials until the senseless killing of protesters stops. Help is on its way."
Trump told reporters Tuesday evening his administration was awaiting accurate casualty figures before acting "accordingly". The comments came as observers wait to see if he follows through on threats to intervene militarily.
Ali Larijani, secretary of Iran's Supreme National Security Council, blamed Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for protester deaths. "We declare the names of the main killers of the people of Iran: 1, Trump 2, Netanyahu," Larijani said.
Skylar Thompson of the Human Rights Activists News Agency said the death toll reached four times that of the 2022 Mahsa Amini protests in just two weeks. "We're horrified, but we still think the number is conservative," Thompson said, warning the toll would rise.
Iranians reach out, world cannot reach in
Monitoring demonstrations from abroad has proven difficult due to an internet blackout that authorities imposed for several days.
Witnesses in Tehran described by phone Tuesday a heavy security presence, burned government buildings, destroyed ATMs and few pedestrians. Several Tehran residents called AP's Dubai bureau Tuesday but the agency could not call back.
Text messaging remained down. Internet users in Iran could access government-approved websites locally but nothing abroad, according to information available to Euronews. Activists said Wednesday that Starlink was offering free service in Iran.
The demonstrations began in late December 2024 sparked by economic grievances after the Iranian rial collapsed, trading at over 1.4 million to the dollar. Protests intensified into broader challenges to the theocratic system.
Iran has experienced repeated waves of unrest in recent years. The 2022 Mahsa Amini protests erupted after the 22-year-old woman died in police custody following her arrest for allegedly violating hijab rules. Those demonstrations lasted months and resulted in hundreds of deaths.