Death toll in Iran's recent unrest surpasses 7,000, says US-based rights group

ANKARA

The death toll from the recent protests in Iran has risen to 7,002, the US-based Human Rights Activists News Agency (HRANA) said on Wednesday.

According to HRANA, 52,941 people were detained, and 7,002 people, including 214 security personnel, were killed in incidents that occurred during demonstrations across various parts of the country.

HRANA noted that 11,730 additional cases are still under review. The agency had previously reported the death toll as 6,984.

Protests in Iran

Protests that began on Dec. 28, 2025, at Tehran’s Grand Bazaar, led by shopkeepers over the rapid depreciation of the local currency against foreign exchange and deepening economic hardships, later spread across the country.

During demonstrations that intensified in the capital, Tehran, on Jan. 8, authorities blocked internet access amid clashes. Security forces intervened on Jan. 8–9 and suppressed the protests.

In a statement on Jan. 21, Iran’s Foundation of Martyrs and Veterans Affairs, citing the country’s Legal Medicine Organization, announced that 3,117 people, including security personnel and civilians, had lost their lives in the unrest.

The foundation said 2,427 of the victims were security forces and civilian citizens allegedly killed by “armed terrorist groups,” while no further details were provided regarding 690 of the deceased.