At least 35 people, including 4 children, killed in Iran protests, rights group says

The death toll in violence surrounding protests in Iran has risen to at least 35 people, activists say, as the demonstrations show no signs of stopping.

The figure comes from the US-based Human Rights Activists News Agency, which says more than 1,200 people have been detained in the protests, which have been ongoing for more than a week.

It says 29 protesters, four children and two members of Iran’s security forces have been killed. Demonstrations have reached over 250 locations in 27 of Iran’s 31 provinces.

The group, which relies on an activist network inside of Iran for its reporting, has been accurate in past unrest.

The semiofficial Fars news agency, believed to be close to Iran’s paramilitary Revolutionary Guard, reported late yesterday that some 250 police officers and 45 members of the Guard’s all-volunteer Basij force have been hurt in the demonstrations.

The growing death toll carries with it the chance of American intervention. US President Donald Trump warned Iran on Friday that if Tehran “violently kills peaceful protesters,” the United States “will come to their rescue.”

While it remains unclear how and if Trump will intervene, the comments took on new importance after the US military on Saturday captured Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro, a longtime ally of Tehran.

The protests have become the biggest in Iran since 2022, when the death of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini in police custody triggered nationwide demonstrations. However, the protests have yet to be as widespread and intense as those surrounding the death of Amini.

Iran has faced rounds of nationwide protests in recent years. As sanctions tightened and Iran struggled after a 12-day war with Israel in June, its rial currency collapsed in December, reaching an exchange rate of 1.4 million to $1. Protests began soon after.