Iranians block a road and gather during a protest in Tehran, Iran, January 9, 2026.
Masa | AFP | Getty Images
The death toll from protests in Iran has reached 2,571, US-based human rights group HRANA said on Wednesday, as the Islamic Republic’s clerics face the biggest wave of protests in years.
US President Donald Trump on Tuesday urged Iranians to continue protesting and promised help was on the way. But Iranian officials have accused the United States and Israel of inciting violence in the country and blamed the deaths on “terrorist agents” inspired by foreign guidance.
The group said it has confirmed the deaths of 2,403 protesters, 147 government officials, 12 people under the age of 18, and nine civilians who were not participating in the protests.
Iranian officials said on Tuesday that about 2,000 people had been killed, the first time authorities have released an overall death toll from more than two weeks of nationwide unrest.
Asked what he meant by “help is on the way,” Trump told reporters that we need to understand that. President Trump has said military action is one of the options he is considering to punish Iran for the crackdown.
The unrest, sparked by dire economic conditions, has been Iran’s rulers’ biggest domestic challenge for at least three years, and comes amid mounting international pressure following last year’s Israeli and U.S. airstrikes.
