At Least 7,000 Dead in Iran Protests, Activists Say

More than 7,000 people have died as a result of the protests and unrest that rocked Iran over December and January, an activist group said on Feb. 11.

At least 7,002 people, including 6,506 protestors, 216 children, 214 “government-affiliated forces,” and 66 “non-civilian non-protestors,” have died following the demonstrations, according to Virginia-based Iranian human rights organization HRANA.

HRANA relies on supporters in Iran to cross-check its information. It previously stated that the figures were based solely on “verified individual reports” and are likely to be much higher.

About 52,941 people have been detained during the protests, according to the organization. The Epoch Times is unable to verify the figures.

HRANA’s figure is more than double the death toll given by the Iranian government, which said on Jan. 21 that 3,117 people had been killed, the state-owned Islamic Republic News Agency (IRNA) reports.

The government has, in the past, underreported or not reported fatalities from unrest, according to reports by the U.S. State Department, citing rights groups.

The protests were triggered by soaring inflation and the collapse of the Iranian rial, but eventually their object expanded to some calling for the overthrow of the theocratic regime in Tehran, which marked 39 years in power on Feb. 11.

At an event marking the anniversary, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian apologized to those affected by the unrest.

“As president, I apologize to the Iranian nation for all deficiencies and shortages. I declare that the 14th government has exerted its full efforts to resolve the people’s problems with strength and determination,” Pezeshkian said, according to IRNA.

“We are ashamed and feel obligated to serve all who were affected by these incidents—from martyrs in the police, IRGC, and Basij, to those who, knowingly or unknowingly, were misled and did things that shouldn’t have happened.”

The news of the deaths, which are the highest since the Islamic Revolution of 1979, comes as the United States and Iran continue discussions relating to Tehran’s nuclear program.

Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan said in an interview published in the Financial Times on Feb. 12 that both sides were showing flexibility on the issue, with Washington appearing “willing” to tolerate some nuclear enrichment.

“It is positive that the Americans appear willing to tolerate Iranian enrichment within clearly set boundaries,” said Fidan, who has been involved in talks with both Washington and Tehran.

“The Iranians now recognise that they need to reach a deal with the Americans, and the Americans understand that the Iranians have certain limits. It’s pointless to try to force them.”

Washington has previously demanded Iran relinquish its stockpile of uranium enriched to up to 60 percent purity, a small step away from the 90 percent that is considered weapons-grade.

Fidan told the FT he believed Tehran “genuinely wants to reach a real agreement” and would accept restrictions on enrichment levels and a strict inspection regime, as it did in the 2015 agreement with the United States and other nations.

Earlier this week, Iran suggested that it would be prepared to dilute its stores of highly enriched uranium in return for the United States lifting sanctions on the country.

Speaking to reporters, Mohammad Eslami, head of the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran, said that Iran may consider diluting its 60 percent refined stocks if all sanctions were removed, the regime-aligned Iranian Students’ News Agency (ISNA) reported.

Diplomats from Washington and Tehran held talks through Omani mediators in Muscat last week to revive diplomacy after President Donald Trump deployed a naval flotilla to the region.

Trump hosted Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at the White House on Feb. 11, with the Iranian issue at the top of the agenda.

After the meeting, Trump said they did not reach a final agreement on Iran.

“It was a very good meeting,” Trump wrote on Truth Social.

“There was nothing definitive reached other than I insisted that negotiations with Iran continue to see whether or not a Deal can be consummated.

“If it can, I let the Prime Minister know that will be a preference. If it cannot, we will just have to see what the outcome will be.”