An unnamed Iranian official has disclosed that government-verified fatalities from recent civil unrest have reached approximately 5,000 casualties, according to a Sunday statement to Reuters. The official indicated that security personnel accounted for roughly 500 of these deaths, while attributing the remaining civilian casualties to what authorities describe as “terrorists and armed rioters.”
The northwestern Kurdish regions experienced the most severe violence, with the official noting these areas witnessed both the most intense clashes and highest concentration of fatalities. This region has historical significance as a center of Kurdish separatist activity and has consistently been the epicenter of violent confrontations during previous periods of civil unrest.
While the official suggested the final death toll would not increase substantially, the statement contradicted reports from international monitoring organizations. The US-based HRANA rights group documented 3,308 confirmed fatalities with an additional 4,382 cases undergoing verification, alongside more than 24,000 confirmed arrests.
The Iranian government maintains its longstanding position that foreign adversaries have instigated the unrest. The official specifically cited Israel and overseas armed groups as providing support and equipment to protesters. This accusation aligns with Tehran’s frequent attribution of domestic opposition to external forces, particularly its regional arch-rival Israel, which conducted military strikes against Iranian targets in June.
Norwegian-based Hengaw, an Iranian Kurdish rights organization, corroborated reports of particularly violent clashes in northwestern Kurdish areas since protests initially erupted in late December. The disclosure comes amid increasing international diplomatic pressure, with several nations including New Zealand and Slovakia temporarily closing their Iranian diplomatic missions.