Prohibition In Iran, the country’s worsening economic situation in late December 2025 poses a broader challenge to its clerical leadership, which has been in power since the 1979 Islamic Revolution.
Tensions with the US have risen after US President Donald Trump suggested Washington could intervene militarily in Iran if it cracked down on the protesters.
Critics of the Iranian government, mainly in the West, claim that thousands of people have died in the protests. Specifically, the US-based Human Rights Activists News Agency (HRANA) put the death toll at 2,615 on Wednesday.
However, the Iranian government said the number was exaggerated and reports on Iranian state TV put the number at around 300.
Trump softened his tone on Wednesday night when he said he had received assurances from Iran that the killings of protesters in Iran had stopped and that detained protesters would not be executed.
But his earlier threats to attack Iran prompted Tehran to warn of retaliation, and on Wednesday, Qatar confirmed that some personnel had been removed from Al Udeid airbase, which hosts US armed forces, saying it was responding. “Current Regional Tensions”.
There have been some clashes between protesters and security forces in Iran, resulting in deaths. The ongoing internet blackout – which entered its eighth day on Thursday – has made it particularly difficult to ascertain the actual death toll, according to watchdog NetBlocks.
What do we know about the death toll in Iran?
Iran has not released an official death toll, but officials said this week that more than 100 members of security forces had been killed in clashes with protesters. Opposition activists said the toll was high and included more than 1,000 protesters.
HRANA said the death toll reached at least 2,615 on Wednesday.
The Norway-based organization Iran Human Rights (IHR) reported on Wednesday that at least 3,428 protesters were killed in the crackdown on the protests.
But on the same day, Iranian state TV said a mass funeral was taking place in Tehran that would include 300 bodies of security force members and civilians.
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas in an interview with Fox News on Wednesday Araghchi refused Tehran plans to execute protesters. During this interview, Araghchi downplayed the death toll being reported.
“I certainly reject the numbers and figures they said. It’s an exaggeration, it’s a disinformation campaign, just to find excuses, just to do another aggression against Iran,” Araghchi said, adding that the numbers are being exaggerated to get Trump involved in the conflict.
Al Jazeera cannot independently verify any of the figures reported.
Of all these numbers, HRANA’s number is the most quoted by news organizations around the world.
What is HRANA?
According to its website, the US-based HRANA is a news organization affiliated with Human Rights Activists in Iran (also known as HRAI and HRA), described as “a non-political and non-governmental organization consisting of lawyers defending human rights in Iran”.
The website states that HRAI was founded in 2005 but does not provide the name or details about who founded the organization.
It said that in February 2006, a small group of Iranian activists came together to organize protests against human rights violations in the country.
“That effort laid the foundation for a larger approach that eventually led to the establishment of what would become known as Human Rights Activists in Iran,” the website says, adding that the effort initially focused on political prisoners. It supported victims’ families, documented abuses, and ran public education campaigns in Iran.
Why is the group in the US now?
By March 2010, the group was legally registered in Iran, “shifting from a semi-clandestine organization to an organization openly operating in Iran”, it said.
The organization added that during this period, the group decided to reveal the names of its leaders publicly. “By publicly revealing the names of our leaders, we want to neutralize the suspicions that have historically led to brutal crackdowns in the past.”
However, the government took strict action against it, it said.
The website continues: “The military-style crackdown of our organization on March 2, 2010 has made our members more determined than ever to regroup and finally rebuild the infrastructure necessary to continue our work despite the security threats that threaten each and every one of us.”
According to a document published by Amnesty International on 12 March 2010, HRAI reported that Iranian security forces raided the homes and workplaces of at least 29 of its members between 2 March and 3 March and arrested 15 people.
The website adds that soon after the crackdown, HRAI registered as a nonprofit organization in the US and focused on recruiting skilled members, integrating technology into its operations and “acquiring appropriate sources of financial support.”
What is HRANA’s assessment of the crisis in Iran?
This week, HRANA reported that 2,615 people were killed, 2,435 were protesters, 153 were affiliated with the government or the military, and 14 were civilians who were not protesting.
In addition to the death toll, HRANA reported that 18,470 people have been arrested during 617 protests in 187 cities since December 28 in Tehran.
HRANA has published news articles with names, photos, ages and more information of some of the people who have been arrested or killed.
What do you know about HRANA’s supporters, members and procedures?
Al Jazeera contacted HRANA for comment, but a spokesperson declined to disclose information about the group’s members or funding sources for security reasons.
A spokesman told Al Jazeera that the organization confirms all data with primary sources, but said it cannot reveal the identity of individuals or organizations in Iran with whom HRANA confirms information. Its method of data collection and analysis is not provided on its website.
How does HRANA’s previous report compare to official government statistics?
Iran fought a 12-day war with Israel in 2025 from June 13 to 24.
HRANA reported that 1,190 people were killed and 4,475 wounded in Iran during the conflict. This figure includes both civilian and military casualties. The organization also said that 1,596 people were arrested by Iranian security forces during the war.
In contrast, according to Iran’s Ministry of Health and Medical Education, 610 people was killed And 4,746 people were injured during the war.
In September 2022, a young woman named Mahsa Amini, aged 22, was arrested in Tehran for allegedly wearing a hijab improperly. She collapsed while in custody and died in hospital a few days later.
Her death sparked national outrage and weeks of widespread protests in Iran. Slogans like ‘Women, Life, Freedom’ were given on the streets.
HRANA reported in October 2022 that 200 people died and around 5,500 were arrested during those protests.
That death toll tallies with figures from Iran’s Interior Ministry’s State Security Council, which said in December 2022 that More than 200 People have been killed since September. The Security Council said the dead included security forces, killed in “terrorist acts”, killed by foreign-linked groups and “rioters” killed by state forces and “armed counter-revolutionary elements who were members of separatist groups”.