Human rights advocates reported on Saturday that over 3,000 individuals have died during protests across Iran, while the government is noting a “very slight increase” in internet usage following an eight-day blackout.
The US-based HRANA organization confirmed 3,090 fatalities, including 2,885 protesters. Locals have mentioned that the government’s crackdown seems to have effectively suppressed protests for the time being, with state media announcing additional arrests.
The Iranian authorities attribute much of the unrest to armed groups masquerading as protesters, referring to them as “terrorists.” They claim that Israel and the US are behind the organization of these groups and are responsible for numerous deaths, both of protesters and security personnel.
Residents in Tehran indicated that the capital has been relatively calm for the last four days, according to reports from Reuters.
Anonymous local sources noted that drones were seen in the skies, but there were no indications of large gatherings on Thursday or Friday.
Some internet access restored after outage
Protests initially began on December 28 in response to economic difficulties but evolved into broader demonstrations against clerical rule, escalating into serious violence by the end of last week.
According to reports from rebels and Iranian officials, the death toll during these protests marks the highest level of unrest since the 1979 Islamic Revolution, with more than 2,000 fatalities recorded.
Internet monitoring organization NetBlocks noted a slight increase in internet connections this morning following a 200-hour shutdown, although they remained at roughly 2% of typical levels.
The semi-official Mehr news agency reported some internet services were restored, and the ISNA news outlet mentioned that text messaging services had resumed as well.
A resident from Karaj, located west of Tehran, indicated via WhatsApp that he noticed internet access was restored around 4 a.m. on Saturday. Karaj faced the most violence during these protests.
This individual, who chose to remain anonymous, remarked that Thursday marked the peak of unrest in the area.
Additionally, some Iranians living abroad reported on social media that they could successfully message friends and family in Iran early Saturday morning.
US President Donald Trump has warned of “very strong action” if Iran proceeds with executing protesters, and Iranian officials claim they have halted mass executions.
Trump expressed appreciation on social media for the reported cancellation of over 800 scheduled hangings by Iranian leadership, thanking them for the decision.
However, Iran has not officially announced plans for executions or any statements about halting them.
State media from Iran reported the detention of several alleged “ringleaders” of the protests, including a woman identified as Nazanin Baradaran. She is said to have played a significant role in organizing the movements, allegedly acting under the pseudonym Raha Parham and linked to Reza Pahlavi, the exiled son of Iran’s last monarch. The report has not been independently verified.
