The death toll resulting from demonstrations against the government in Iran has risen once again, prompting United States President Donald Trump to call off discussions with Iranian officials in response to the violent crackdown on protesters.
Iran saw street protests erupt in December, initially driven by economic challenges but later shifting focus towards overthrowing the long-standing Mullah regime established in 1979.
Pictures circulated by international media depict Tehran covered in graffiti, with protestors demanding the demise of 86-year-old supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
Despite facing armed forces armed with firearms, demonstrators persist in their presence, with reports indicating body bags being accumulated at morgues in Tehran.
As of Wednesday, January 14, the death toll from the nationwide unrest has reached at least 2,571, with the Human Rights Activists News Agency based in the US stating that 2,403 of the deceased were protesters and 147 were linked to the government, alongside over 18,100 individuals detained.
This death toll surpasses any previous upheaval in Iran since the Islamic Revolution of 1979.
Skylar Thompson from the agency expressed shock at the new figures, pointing out that it quadrupled the death toll of the Mahsa Amini protests in 2022, occurring in just a two-week span. She cautioned that the numbers might escalate further.
Iranian state TV, in a notable acknowledgment of the fatalities, mentioned that the country had “numerous martyrs.”
President Trump has urged Iranians to persist in their demonstrations, emphasizing on social media platform Truth Social that he has halted all engagements with Iranian officials pending an end to the senseless killings of protestors. He also mentioned that assistance was in progress.
Trump later informed journalists that his administration awaited an accurate report on the number of protestors killed before determining the subsequent course of action.
In a televised interview, Trump emphasized that significant measures would be taken if Iran proceeds with the execution of protestors, with the first execution planned for the following day.
Erfan Soltani, a father and shop owner, is slated to be the first individual executed in Iran’s severe response to the protests after being arrested at his residence for his involvement in the anti-government demonstrations. The 26-year-old was granted just 10 minutes with his family.
Iranian officials cautioned President Trump against intervening, suggesting that the US could be a “legitimate target” if any actions were taken.