Tehran, Iran – The Human Rights Activists News Agency (HRANA) reports that the death toll from ongoing protests in Iran has risen to over 500.
This comes amid escalating political and security tensions and mutual threats between Tehran and Washington regarding potential US intervention.
According to Reuters, HRANA, a US-based organization, confirmed the deaths of 490 protesters and 48 members of the security forces.
More than 10,600 people have been arrested since the protests began nearly two weeks ago.
These figures are based on information gathered by activists inside and outside Iran.
Iranian authorities have not released official casualty figures, and Reuters has not been able to independently verify these statistics.
Protests escalate and Trump warnings
The escalation of protests coincided with warnings from US President Donald Trump, who threatened to intervene on behalf of the demonstrators. He also warned the Iranian leadership against using force against them.
In this context, The Wall Street Journal reported that Trump would receive a briefing from his advisors on Tuesday regarding options for dealing with Iran. These options include launching military strikes, expanding sanctions, or providing cyber support to the opposition.
legitimate goals
In response, Tehran warned against “miscalculation.”
Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf stated that any attack on Iran would make US bases and ships, as well as Israel, legitimate targets.
Iranian authorities also confirmed they were intensifying their security crackdown, labeling protesters as “rioters and terrorists.”
They accused the United States and Israel of orchestrating the unrest.
The protests erupted on December 28th in response to deteriorating economic conditions and soaring inflation.
They quickly escalated into widespread demonstrations against the ruling regime.
Analysts believe the protests represent one of the biggest challenges facing the Iranian leadership in years.
This comes at a time of escalating regional tensions, amid international anticipation of the unfolding events in Iran.
