Iranian Official: 5,000 Killed in Protests

SadaNews - A senior Iranian official stated on Sunday that Iranian authorities have verified the deaths of at least five thousand people during the recent protests in the country, among them about 500 security personnel.

The official accused what he described as "terrorists and armed rioters" of being responsible for the deaths of "innocent Iranians" during the protests.

According to a report from Reuters quoting the official, some of the fiercest confrontations and highest death tolls were recorded in the Kurdish regions of northwestern Iran, where separatist Kurdish groups are active.

This acknowledgment comes amid American threats to strike Iran and escalating regional tensions, following widespread protests that erupted in late December, which later took on a direct political nature.

The Supreme Leader of the Islamic Republic, Ali Khamenei, called on Saturday for the "breaking the back of the instigators," blaming U.S. President Donald Trump for the casualties during the protests.

Khamenei stated in a speech broadcasted by Iranian state television: "We do not intend to lead the country to war, but we will not spare local and foreign criminals," amidst shouts from his supporters of "death to America" and "death to Israel."

In what appeared to be the first indirect acknowledgment of the scale of human losses, Khamenei said that "agents (...) killed several thousands of people," describing what happened as "pure savagery."

According to the timeline of events, protests began on December 28 with a strike by Tehran bazaar traders, in protest against the deteriorating living conditions, before they expanded and raised political slogans calling for the overthrow of the regime.

After initial movements in small and medium cities, protests moved to major cities starting January 8, with thousands of protesters taking to the streets.

However, the momentum of the protests later diminished following a widespread crackdown, accompanied by a continuous internet blackouts, which human rights organizations outside Iran described as one of the biggest challenges faced by authorities since the establishment of the Islamic Republic.

In this context, Iranian authorities announced the reopening of schools in Tehran and other cities on Sunday, after they had been closed since January 10, and also decided to hold university examinations that were postponed due to the protests, starting January 24, according to the Iranian news agency ISNA.

Tehran asserts that the protests are now "under control," accusing "saboteurs" and "foreign-backed rioters" of igniting them, while media close to the authorities reported the arrest of thousands of people, with officials pledging swift penalties against the detainees.

In a direct attack on Washington, Khamenei said the protests were an "American conspiracy," adding: "We consider the U.S. president guilty for the losses and damages and accusations directed at the Iranian nation."

He added: "The U.S. president sent a message to the instigators saying: we support you, and we will provide you military support... this means that the U.S. president has engaged himself in the sedition, and this is considered a crime."

Khamenei views the goal of the United States as "to swallow Iran," considering the American endeavor as aiming to "subject Iran again to direct military, political, and economic domination."

In contrast, despite what appeared to be a relative softening in Washington's tone, Trump stated that he does not rule out military options, confirming that he is monitoring whether Iranian authorities have executed protesters.

On Friday, Trump wrote on his "Truth Social" platform: "I greatly appreciate Iranian leaders canceling all executions that were scheduled for yesterday (more than 800). Thank you."

In response, Tehran's prosecutor Ali Salehi stated that the U.S. president "is speaking a lot of empty and unjustified words," emphasizing that the Iranian government's response is "decisive, deterrent, and swift."