Iran Official 'Admits' 2,000 Dead In Unrest Threatening Survival Of Clerical Regime

At least 2,000 people were killed in the massive protests in Iran that led to a stringent crackdown, news agency Reuters reported on Tuesday, citing an unnamed official as saying.

This is the first official recognition from Iran's authorities regarding the high death toll resulting from the clampdown on the protests that have been continuing for the past two weeks.

The Iran Human Rights group based in Oslo, had reported that 648 people had died in Monday's protests while estimating that the death toll could reach up to 6,000.

The protests stemmed from public dissatisfaction regarding Iran's economic condition, which included record-high inflation, unfavourable food prices, and the depreciation of the Iranian rial.

This evolved into protests that called for the removal of the current regime in power. Rezha Pahlavi, the ousted Crown Prince of Iran, who is currently in exile also called for protests and strikes and advocated for a peaceful transition of power, and a political referendum.

US President Donald Trump also announced a 25% tariff on goods exported by countries who "do business" with Iran. Trump stated that this new tariff would be "effective immediately". China criticised the move, being one of Iran's major trading partners alongside Turkiye, Iraq, the United Arab Emirates and India.

He is also mulling a military operation over Iran's crackdown as per reports, saying that "we are locked and loaded."

According to analysts, Iran had witnessed more prominent waves of protests, which failed to unseat existing power structures, but the economic issues that the country is facing may expose the authorities to vulnerability.