Iran’s crackdown on protests has reportedly resulted in over 5,000 deaths, according to activists, with the real toll potentially higher due to a significant internet blackout. The US has increased naval forces in the region amid escalating tensions, with President Trump warning against mass executions of protesters.
Iran’s Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi on Friday said that the death toll in the unrest stood at 3,117 in the country, as Iran simultaneously faces mounting international scrutiny over a deadly nationwide crackdown on protests. He said that 2,427 of those killed were civilians and security personnel, while 690 were identified as “terrorists”, according to Iranian authorities.
The statement comes amid sharply contrasting accounts from rights groups and activists, who say Iran’s broader crackdown on nationwide protests has claimed far more lives. Activists said at least 5,002 people have been killed in the government’s response to unrest across the country, even as Iran remains under a sweeping internet blackout.
The developments come as United States President Donald Trump described an approaching American carrier group as an “armada,” raising concerns of possible military escalation even as Washington and Tehran trade sharp rhetoric.
Mayhem of the recent terrorist operation in Iran:
● 305 ambulances and buses
● 24 gas stations
● 700 convenience stores
● 300 private homes
● 750 banks
● 414 government buildings
● 749 police stations
● 120 Basij centers
● 200 schools
● 350 mosques
● 15 libraries
● 2… https://t.co/65OKkEfprk— Seyed Abbas Araghchi (@araghchi) January 23, 2026
Death toll climbs amid internet blackout
The latest toll was released by the US-based Human Rights Activists News Agency, which said those killed include 4,716 demonstrators, 203 people affiliated with the government, 43 children and 40 civilians not involved in the protests. The group also reported that more than 26,800 people have been detained as arrests intensify.
Activists warned the real number of dead could be higher, as Iran’s authorities have enforced what they describe as the most comprehensive internet shutdown in the country’s history since January 8, severely limiting the flow of information.
Iran’s government on Wednesday issued its first official toll, saying 3,117 people were killed. It claimed that 2,427 of the dead were civilians and security personnel, while others were labelled “terrorists.” In past unrest, Iranian authorities have been accused of underreporting fatalities.
Journalists inside Iran also face reporting limits, while state television routinely refers to protesters as “rioters” allegedly backed by the United States and Israel, without providing evidence.
Trump’s warnings and Iran’s response
Tensions remain high after Trump drew two red lines, the killing of peaceful demonstrators and the possibility of mass executions. Iranian officials have referred to some detainees as “mohareb,” or “enemies of God,” a charge that carries the death penalty and was used during mass executions in 1988.
Trump has repeatedly claimed that Iran halted the execution of 800 detained protesters. Iran’s top prosecutor Mohammad Movahedi on Friday rejected that assertion. “This claim is completely false; no such number exists, nor has the judiciary made any such decision,” Movahedi said, according to the judiciary’s Mizan news agency.
His comments suggested the figure may have emerged from diplomatic channels involving Iran’s Foreign Ministry under Abbas Araghchi, who has held talks with US envoy Steve Witkoff.