Iranian state television on Thursday announced an official death toll of 3,117 from recent nationwide protests, as the country’s foreign minister issued a stark warning to the United States, saying Tehran would “fire back with everything we have” if it comes under renewed attack.
A statement by Iran's foundation for veterans and martyrs, cited by state television, said 2,427 people in that toll, including members of the security forces, were considered under Islam to be "martyrs," calling them "innocent" victims.
The clerical authorities have condemned the protest wave as a "terrorist" incident characterized by violent "riots" fueled by the United States. Rights groups, however, say thousands of protesters demanding change were killed by direct fire from the security forces.
The U.S.-based Human Rights Activists News Agency put the death toll at 4,560. The agency has been accurate throughout the years on demonstrations and unrest in Iran, relying on a network of activists inside the country that confirms all reported fatalities.
The comments by Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, who saw his invitation to the World Economic Forum in Davos rescinded over the killings, came as a U.S. aircraft carrier group moved westward toward the Middle East from Asia. U.S. fighter jets and other equipment appeared to be moving in the Mideast after a major U.S. military deployment in the Caribbean saw troops seize Venezuela's Nicolás Maduro.
