Iran Protests

Activists say the death toll from the protests in Iran has surpassed 2,500 people. This level of violence around protests hasn’t been seen in Iran in decades. The figures were reported early Wednesday by the U.S.-based Human Rights Activists News Agency, which has accurately tallied the toll from past unrest in Iran. Most of the dead over more than two weeks of protests were demonstrators. Determining the scale of the protests from abroad is difficult given communications have been severed. Limited phone calls could be made abroad Tuesday, but text messaging was down and the internet could not be used to access foreign sites. Activists say the satellite internet provider Starlink now offers free service in Iran.

Iranian officials signaled that fast trials and executions lay ahead for suspects detained in nationwide protests, while the Islamic Republic promised retaliation if the U.S. or Israel intervened in the domestic unrest. The threats emerged Wednesday as some personnel at a key U.S. military base in Qatar were advised to evacuate even as President Donald Trump made a series of vague statements that left it unclear what American action, if any, would take place against Iran. The Islamic Republic also shut its airspace to commercial flights early Thursday morning for several hours, without explanation.

A U.S.-based activist agency reports at least 3,919 deaths during recent protests in Iran. This figure surpasses previous estimates and highlights the severity of the crackdown. The Human Rights Activists News Agency relies on a network of activists for verification. Iranian officials have not provided a clear death toll, but Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei mentioned "several thousand" deaths. The protests began over Iran's struggling economy. Iranian leaders blame the U.S. for the unrest. Tensions with the U.S. have been high, with U.S. President Donald Trump threatening action if violence against protesters continued. Internet access in Iran remains restricted.