Screenshot obtained from a social media video shows riots in the city of Mashhad. Photo: Reuters
DUBAI:
The death toll from deadly clashes during ongoing protests in Iran has risen to more than 500 people, as authorities intensified a crackdown and warned the United States against any intervention, human rights groups and media outlets said on Sunday.
Iran has been hit by its deadliest wave of unrest in years, sparked by economic hardship and fueled by political anger. Iranian authorities have blamed the unrest on foreign interference, particularly from the United States and Israel.
According to the US-based Human Rights Activists News Agency (HRANA), at least 490 protesters and 48 members of the security forces have been killed since demonstrations broke out on December 28.
Tasnim, a semi-official Iranian news agency, reported that at least 109 security personnel have been killed. Other media reports have claimed that more than 10,600 people have been arrested nationwide.
The protests, initially fueled by rising prices, have become the biggest challenge to Iran’s establishment since 2022, with chants now openly directed at the ruling system established after the 1979 Islamic Revolution.
Despite the internet blackout imposed since Thursday, images circulating on social media and verified by Reuters and AFP showed large crowds marching at night in Tehran, chanting slogans and applauding, while fires and explosions were reported in cities such as Mashhad.
Iranian police chief Ahmad-Reza Radan said the level of confrontation with “rioters” had escalated, while state television broadcast images of dozens of body bags at the Tehran coroner’s office, claiming the victims died in incidents caused by “armed terrorists.”
State media broadcast funerals of security personnel killed in protests in cities including Shiraz, Gachsaran, Yasuj, Isfahan and Kermanshah. Authorities have said the situation has stabilized in recent days.
According to official reports, from Saturday night to Sunday afternoon, major cities, including Tehran, did not witness “any significant disturbances.”
Authorities stated that the Internet connection, which had been interrupted for security reasons, was being gradually restored. Public opinion has distanced itself from “terrorists and troublemakers” and believes that the country will overcome the current phase with resilience.
Iran blames foreign powers for stoking violence. Parliament Speaker Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf warned Washington against “miscalculations,” saying any US attack on Iran would make Israel and US military bases and ships in the region “legitimate targets.”
In a televised interview, President Masoud Pezeshkian also accused the United States and Israel of orchestrating the unrest, saying they were ordering “riots” to sow chaos and disorder in Iran. He urged families to stop young people from joining “troublemakers and terrorists.”
He said foreign-linked elements were burning mosques, attacking banks and public properties and killing innocent people. He added that the government was willing to listen to public concerns and determined to resolve economic problems.
US President Donald Trump said the US was “ready to help” the protest movement and warned Iran it would be in “big trouble” if it continued to crack down on protests. Israeli sources said Trump and Netanyahu discussed possible US intervention in a phone call.
Iranian opposition figures abroad, including Reza Pahlavi and Maryam Rajavi, urged protesters to continue, as human rights groups warned that the use of lethal force against protesters appeared to intensify amid the communications blackout.
