Over 1,800 Dead in Iran as Anti-Government Protests Continue

At least 1,850 protesters have been killed in Iran over the past two weeks of anti-government demonstrations, according to the US-based Human Rights Activists News Agency (HRANA).

Tehran authorities continue a brutal crackdown on the demonstrations, including the ongoing near-total internet blackout, now at its fifth day. CNN reported some landline and mobile users have been able to make international calls, but access to the internet remains locked off.

US President Donald Trump has cancelled meetings with Iranian officials and told protesters that “help is on its way,” according to CNN. Trump is scheduled to meet his senior national security team to discuss options after announcing that countries doing business with Iran could face a 25% tariff.

Several European nations have condemned Tehran’s violence. Germany’s foreign ministry said, “The brutal actions of the Iranian regime Tehranagainst its own people are shocking. We urge #Iran to end the violence against its own citizens and to respect their rights.” France, Belgium, and Italy have also summoned Iranian ambassadors in protest.

“National blackouts tend to be the regime’s go-to strategy when deadly force is about to get used against protesters, with the goal being to prevent the spread of news of what’s happening on ground, and also to limit international scrutiny,” the director of cybersecurity watchdog NetBlocks, Alp Toker, told CNN.

The current death toll far exceeds estimates from previous waves of unrest, including the 2019 fuel price protests and the 2022 demonstrations following the death of Mahsa Amini.