Iranian official says verified protest deaths reach at least 5,000

An Iranian official said on Sunday that authorities have verified at least 5,000 deaths linked to protests across the country, including about 500 members of the security forces, blaming what he described as “terrorists and armed rioters” for the killings, reports Reuters.

The official, who spoke on condition of anonymity due to the sensitivity of the issue, told Reuters that some of the deadliest clashes occurred in Iran’s Kurdish regions in the northwest, where separatist groups have long been active and where unrest has historically been among the most violent.

He said the final death toll was not expected to rise sharply, adding that Israel and armed groups based abroad had supported and equipped those taking part in the protests.

Iranian authorities regularly attribute domestic unrest to foreign adversaries, including Israel, a long-standing foe of the Islamic Republic that carried out military strikes on Iran in June.

Rights groups have reported lower figures. The U.S.-based Human Rights Activists News Agency (HRANA) said on Saturday it had documented 3,308 deaths, with another 4,382 cases under review, and confirmed more than 24,000 arrests.

Hengaw, an Iranian Kurdish rights group based in Norway, has also said some of the heaviest clashes since protests erupted in late December took place in Kurdish areas in northwest Iran.