TEHRAN, Iran- More than 2,000 people have been killed during a violent crackdown by Iranian security forces on nationwide protests, according to human rights groups.
The US-based Human Rights Activists News Agency (HRANA) said it had so far confirmed the deaths of at least 2,003 people over the last 17 days, despite a near-total internet blackout across Iran.
The toll includes 1,850 protesters, 135 individuals affiliated with the government, nine uninvolved civilians and nine children.
An Iranian official also told Reuters that about 2,000 people had been killed, but blamed the deaths on what he described as “terrorists,” without providing a detailed breakdown.
Speaking to reporters on Tuesday, Trump said the scale of the killings appeared “significant,” adding that once accurate figures were confirmed, the United States would “act accordingly.”
Earlier, Trump took to his Truth Social platform to condemn the crackdown, saying Iranian authorities would “pay a big price” and urging citizens to continue protesting.
“I have cancelled all meetings with Iranian officials until the senseless killing of protesters STOPS. HELP IS ON ITS WAY. MIGA!!!” Trump wrote, using the slogan “Make Iran Great Again,” commonly associated with Iranian opposition groups abroad.
The protests, which have reportedly spread to more than 180 cities and towns across all 31 provinces, were initially sparked by anger over the collapse of Iran’s currency and the soaring cost of living.
They quickly escalated into broader demands for political change, becoming one of the most serious challenges to the clerical establishment since the 1979 Islamic Revolution.
According to HRANA, the confirmed figures may still be conservative. The group said it was also reviewing reports of an additional 779 possible deaths.
“We’re horrified, but we still think the number is conservative,” HRANA Deputy Director Skylar Thompson told the Associated Press.
Another rights organisation, Norway-based Iran Human Rights (IHR), said it had independently confirmed at least 734 protester deaths.
Its director, Mahmood Amiry-Moghaddam, told AFP that the figures were drawn from fewer than half of Iran’s provinces and less than 10pc of the country’s hospitals, warning that the real toll was likely much higher.
“The real number of those killed is likely in the thousands,” he said.
International media access to Iran remains heavily restricted, making it difficult to independently verify the scale of the violence.
However, videos shared online over the weekend showed dozens of bodies at the Kahrizak Forensic Centre in Tehran. The BBC said it counted at least 180 shrouded bodies and body bags in one video, with another showing around 50 bodies.
Hospitals in Tehran and other cities have reportedly been overwhelmed. An Iranian oncologist based in London told the BBC that hospitals resembled “war zones,” with shortages of blood and medical supplies.
An Iranian resident in Rasht, near the Caspian Sea, described the city as unrecognisable amid widespread destruction, saying: “Everywhere is burnt with fire.”
The Trump administration has already announced 25pc tariffs on any country trading with Iran and is reportedly weighing further military and economic options in response to the ongoing crackdown, as international pressure on Tehran continues to mount.
