Tehran, Iran. More than 3,000 people have died in Iran’s nationwide protests, rights activists said, as internet activity showed a slight rise after an eight-day blackout. Residents said the crackdown appeared to have broadly quelled protests for now.
HRANA death toll and reported arrests
The US-based HRANA group said it had verified 3,090 deaths, including 2,885 protesters. It said the figure came as state media reported more arrests.
Residents describe quieter streets in Tehran and elsewhere
Several residents reached by Reuters said Tehran had been comparatively quiet for four days. They said drones were flying over the city but there were no signs of major protests on Thursday or Friday, and asked not to be identified for their safety. A resident of a northern city on the Caspian Sea said the streets there also appeared calm.
Protests and prior estimates of fatalities
The protests erupted on December 28 over economic hardship and swelled into widespread demonstrations calling for the end of clerical rule in the Islamic Republic, culminating in mass violence late last week. According to opposition groups and an Iranian official, more than 2,000 people were killed in the worst domestic unrest since Iran’s 1979 Islamic Revolution.
Internet connectivity after shutdown
Internet monitoring group NetBlocks posted on X that metrics showed a very slight rise in internet connectivity in Iran after 200 hours of shutdown. NetBlocks said connectivity remained around 2% of ordinary levels. A few Iranians overseas said on social media that they had been able to message users living inside Iran early on Saturday.
Trump comments on alleged hangings
US President Donald Trump, who had threatened “very strong action” if Iran executed protesters, said Tehran’s leaders had called off mass hangings. In a social media post, he said scheduled hangings, “Over 800 of them,” had been cancelled. Iran had not announced plans for such executions or said it had cancelled them.
What impact do you think limited internet connectivity has on reporting during protests?