Iranian authorities’ crackdown on nationwide protests has left at least 2,571 people dead, according to an Iranian activists’ group and other monitoring reported by The Associated Press, as communications were severed and Iranians began calling abroad again for the first time in days Tuesday.
Activists said the death toll had surpassed 2,500 and that it reached at least 2,571 early Wednesday. The AP reported it could not independently assess the toll, and it said gauging the demonstrations from abroad had become more difficult as communications disruptions continued during the crackdown.
Iranian state television offered the first official acknowledgment of the deaths, quoting an official saying the country had “a lot of martyrs.” The AP said demonstrations began in late December, when anger over Iran’s ailing economy widened into protests targeting the theocracy, particularly Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
The AP reported that images from demonstrations in Tehran showed graffiti and chants calling for Khamenei’s death. The AP also reported that the death toll figure it cited dwarfed the death toll from any other round of protest or unrest in Iran in decades, a comparison the AP said echoed the chaos around the country’s 1979 Islamic Revolution.
As the reported toll grew Tuesday, U.S. President Donald Trump posted on Truth Social: “Iranian Patriots, KEEP PROTESTING - TAKE OVER YOUR INSTITUTIONS!!!” Later, Trump told reporters his administration was awaiting an accurate report on how many protesters had been killed before acting “accordingly.” Trump also said of Iranian security forces: “It would seem to me that they have been badly misbehaving, but that is not confirmed.”
Iranian officials warned Trump against taking action. Ali Larijani, secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council, responded to U.S. posturing by writing, “We declare the names of the main killers of the people of Iran: 1- Trump 2-” followed by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
Activists said 2,403 of the dead were protesters and 147 were government-affiliated. They also said twelve children were killed, along with nine civilians they said were not taking part in protests, and they said more than 18,100 people had been detained.
Speaking by phone, people described the immediate environment in central Tehran after communications were cut. Witnesses said the heavy security presence was accompanied by burned-out government buildings, smashed ATMs and few passersby, and AP reported some people worried about what came next, including the possibility of a U.S. attack.
Several people in Tehran were able to call the AP on Tuesday, but AP reported that its bureau in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, was unable to call back. Witnesses said text messaging was still down and that internet users inside Iran could connect to government-approved websites locally but not to services abroad. They described police posted at major intersections and security officials in plainclothes visible in public spaces, with anti-riot officers wearing helmets and body armor and carrying batons, shields, shotguns and tear gas launchers.
Witnesses also said several banks and government offices were burned and that while shops were open Tuesday, there was little foot traffic in the capital. The AP reported that state television read a statement saying mortuary and morgue services would be free, which it said could signal that some facilities had charged high fees for the release of bodies during the crackdown.
AP reported that security personnel were apparently searching for Starlink satellite internet terminals, and witnesses in northern Tehran said authorities raided apartment buildings with satellite dishes. Activists said Starlink was offering free service in Iran, and AP quoted Los Angeles-based activist Mehdi Yahyanejad saying in a statement, “We can confirm that the free subscription for Starlink terminals is fully functional,” adding, “We tested it using a newly activated Starlink terminal inside Iran.” Starlink did not immediately acknowledge the decision, the AP reported.
On the streets, a shopkeeper named Mahmoud told AP that customers discussed Trump’s reaction while wondering whether he planned a military strike against the Islamic Republic. Mahmoud said, “I don’t expect Trump or any other foreign country cares about the interests of Iranians.”
A taxi driver named Reza told AP that protests were on many people’s minds, saying, “People — particularly young ones — are hopeless, but they talk about continuing the protests,” while also describing the mood as uncertain as the crackdown continued.