Iranian Official Admits 2,000 Have Been Killed During Demonstrations, UN Denounces ‘Horrific Violence’ By The Media Line Staff Iran has admitted for the first time that there have been significant casualties during ongoing demonstrations but blames what the regime calls “terrorists” for the deaths, Reuters reports. An official said that 2,000 people had been killed in the […]
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The Media Line: Iranian Official Admits 2,000 Have Been Killed During Demonstrations, UN Denounces ‘Horrific Violence’
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Iranian Official Admits 2,000 Have Been Killed During Demonstrations, UN Denounces ‘Horrific Violence’
By The Media Line Staff
Iran has admitted for the first time that there have been significant casualties during ongoing demonstrations but blames what the regime calls “terrorists” for the deaths, Reuters reports.
An official said that 2,000 people had been killed in the two weeks since the protests began, though he offered no breakdown of civilian casualties or losses among security forces.
Numbers cited by the Iranian official exceed UN estimates, which reported hundreds of casualties. UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Turk said in a statement read out by spokesperson Jeremy Laurence, “This cycle of horrific violence cannot continue. The Iranian people and their demands for fairness, equality, and justice must be heard.”
The protests have unfolded while President Donald Trump repeatedly warns that the United States could resort to force in response to Tehran’s harsh repression.
His threats followed coordinated American and Israeli strikes last June that targeted Iran’s nuclear infrastructure and senior officials, adding new pressure on the country’s clerical establishment.
On Monday evening, Trump declared that the United States will impose a 25% tariff on imports from any nation that maintains commercial ties with Iran, a move aimed at penalizing countries trading with the Islamic Republic.
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said Tuesday that Iran’s leadership is nearing collapse as demonstrations show no sign of easing. During a press briefing on his trip to India, Merz again urged Tehran to halt its violent response to protesters and expressed hope that the crisis can be resolved without further bloodshed.
“If a regime can only keep itself in power by force, then it’s effectively at the end. I believe we are now seeing the final days and weeks of this regime,” he told reporters, according to Sky News.
“In any case, it has no legitimacy through elections … The population is now rising up against this regime,” he added.