Tehran, Iran – Reuters quoted the Iranian human rights organization HRANA as saying that the death toll from the ongoing popular protests in Iran has risen to 203.
This comes amid escalating security confrontations and widening unrest as protests enter their third week, posing the biggest internal challenge to Iranian authorities in years.
According to HRANA, the toll includes protesters, civilians, and members of the security forces.
Amid the difficulty of independently verifying the numbers due to widespread internet outages and strict restrictions on communications.
Maintaining security is a “red line”
This coincided with ongoing protests in Tehran and major cities such as Tabriz, Shiraz, Yazd and Karaj.
Reports indicated that public buildings were set on fire and violent clashes occurred.
In this context, the Iranian Revolutionary Guard stressed that maintaining security is a “red line”.
He vowed to take decisive action against what he described as “acts of rioting”.
Meanwhile, the Iranian army announced that it would take over the protection of public property and strategic infrastructure.
The judicial authorities confirmed that they would expedite the review of the detainees’ cases, while warning of severe penalties for those involved in the unrest.
Trump warns… Rubio offers support
Internationally, tensions between Washington and Tehran have escalated, with US President Donald Trump warning the Iranian leadership that the United States may intervene.
Meanwhile, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced his country’s support for “the Iranian people.”
In response, Tehran accused the United States and Israel of being behind the protests and inciting chaos.
Human rights sources reported that the protests that erupted on December 28th began against the backdrop of deteriorating economic conditions.
The collapse of the local currency, before quickly evolving into political slogans demanding a change of government.
Reports also indicated that protesters used alternative means of communication, including the “Starlink” service, to transmit scenes of the demonstrations in light of the media blackout.
Observers believe that the continuation of the protests, coupled with conflicting casualty figures and a tightening security grip,
This foreshadows further internal escalation and international pressure on Tehran in the coming days.
