Iran protests continue as death toll reaches at least 5,000

Iranian officials said on Sunday (January 18) that authorities have verified at least 5,000 deaths linked to the ongoing protests across the country, including around 500 members of the security forces. They blamed what they described as “terrorists and armed rioters” for killing “innocent Iranian citizens”.

An unnamed official source told Reuters that the deadliest clashes occurred in north-western Iran, in predominantly Kurdish areas where separatist groups are active. The region has seen the most severe violence in several years.

The source said the death toll was not expected to rise sharply, and alleged that Israel and armed groups based abroad had provided support and weapons to protesters on the streets.

Iranian authorities have repeatedly accused foreign enemies of fuelling the unrest, including Israel, a long-standing adversary of the Islamic Republic, which launched military strikes against Iran in June.

Meanwhile, HRANA, a US-based human rights organisation, said on Saturday that it had recorded 3,308 deaths, with another 4,382 cases under verification, and confirmed that more than 24,000 people have been arrested.

The Norwegian-based Iranian Kurdish rights group Hengaw said the most intense clashes since protests erupted in late December have taken place in north-western Iran’s Kurdish regions, echoing reports of heavy violence in the area.