Iran protests: Tehran accuses US of incitement as claims put death toll above 2,500

The death toll from Iran’s ongoing crackdown on anti-government protests has risen to at least 2,571, according to activists, marking the deadliest wave of unrest the country has seen in decades.

The US-based Human Rights Activists News Agency said early on Wednesday that 2,403 of those killed were protesters, while 147 were government-affiliated personnel. The group also reported that at least 12 children and nine civilians who were not participating in demonstrations were among the dead. More than 18,100 people have been detained nationwide, it added.

With Iran enforcing widespread internet shutdowns, independent verification of events on the ground has become increasingly difficult. The Associated Press said it was unable to independently confirm the casualty figures, while the Iranian government has not released any consolidated data on deaths or arrests.

The reported toll far exceeds that of previous protest movements in Iran and has drawn comparisons with the violence that accompanied the 1979 Islamic Revolution.

As tensions escalated, Iran formally accused the United States of fuelling the unrest. In a letter to UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres and the UN Security Council, Iranian ambassador to the UN Amir Saeid Iravani called on the world body to condemn Washington for what he described as open incitement of violence.

The letter cited comments by US President Donald Trump on his social media platform, Truth Social, in which he urged demonstrators to continue protesting and to “take over your institutions”.

On Tuesday, Trump announced that he had cancelled all meetings with Iranian officials, linking the decision to what he described as the “senseless killing of protesters” in Iran. Speaking at the Detroit Economic Club, he reiterated his support for demonstrators and urged them to document those responsible for violence.

“I hear five different sets of numbers,” Trump said, referring to reported casualty figures. “One death is too much.” He warned that those involved in suppressing protests would face consequences.

The diplomatic freeze followed Trump’s earlier announcement that any country conducting business with Iran would face a 25 per cent tariff on trade with the United States.

White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said on Monday that diplomacy remained Washington’s preferred approach in dealing with Iran, but added that the administration was not ruling out military options if the situation continued to deteriorate.

The developments underscore a sharp escalation in both internal unrest within Iran and the broader standoff between Tehran and Washington, as international concern mounts over the scale of violence and the lack of independent access to information.

With agency inputs