Newsletters
The death toll from nationwide protests in Iran has risen to 646, a U.S.-based rights group said Monday, as the country remained largely offline for more than four days.
The Human Rights Activists News Agency (HRANA) said a total of 10,721 people had been arrested as of the 16th day of demonstrations sweeping the country.
In its latest report, HRANA said Iran has been under a near-total internet shutdown for more than 100 hours, severely limiting the flow of information from inside the country.
Iran has been rocked by waves of unrest since Dec. 28, when shopkeepers at Tehran’s Grand Bazaar protested the sharp depreciation of the Iranian rial and worsening economic conditions. The demonstrations later spread to multiple cities nationwide.
Iranian authorities have accused the United States and Israel of backing what they describe as “armed rioters,” alleging that some protesters have carried out attacks on public facilities and security forces.
No official casualty figures have been released by Iranian authorities.
U.S. President Donald Trump said Sunday that his administration is closely monitoring developments in Iran and is considering “very strong options” as reports of rising casualties continue.
“We’ll make a determination,” Trump said, adding that he was receiving hourly briefings on the situation. He did not specify when, how, or whether the United States would intervene.
Meanwhile, London-based internet monitoring group NetBlocks said national connectivity in Iran remained at around 1% of normal levels as of Monday.
The organization said the extended blackout has significantly restricted communications, raising concerns among rights groups about the scale of the crackdown.
1 min read
HRANA previously reported that at least 490 protesters and 48 members of the security forces were among those killed, though it said figures continue to be revised as new information emerges.
Rights organizations have warned that the lack of internet access is making it increasingly difficult to independently verify casualties, arrests and allegations of excessive force.
Set as preferred source
1 min read
