Iranian official media says 3,117 people killed during protests

By AFP and ToI Staff 21 January 2026, 8:33 pm

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Iranian official media says 3,117 people were killed during protests that first erupted in late December, and which activists say were suppressed with a deadly crackdown.

A statement by Iran’s foundation for veterans and martyrs, cited by state television, says 2,427 people in that toll, including members of the security forces, are considered under Islam to be “martyrs,” calling them “innocent” victims.

Opposition reports have put the toll far higher, at over 12,000 dead.

The clerical authorities have condemned the protest wave as a “terrorist” incident characterized by violent “riots” fueled by the United States. Rights groups, however, say thousands of protesters demanding change were killed by direct fire from security forces.