Two senior officials of the Islamic Republic government released conflicting casualty figures within hours of each other regarding recent U.S. airstrikes in southern Iran, a discrepancy that has heightened confusion surrounding the actual death toll.
Fatemeh Mohajerani, the government spokesperson, stated during her press conference on Tuesday, July 28, that more than 350 government employees had lost their lives in the line of duty during the recent attacks. According to her, the victims included telecommunications engineers, power line workers, doctors, nurses, and other service personnel.
Referring to her recent trip to Khuzestan and Bushehr provinces, Mohajerani also stated that Bushehr Airport had been “completely knocked out of service” as a result of the strikes and that the aircraft stationed there had been entirely destroyed.
Hours before these statements, Mohammad-Reza Zafarghandi, the Islamic Republic’s Minister of Health, put the death toll from recent U.S. strikes in the southern provinces at 60. He also reported that approximately 670 people had been injured over 10 to 12 days of conflict, without offering further clarification on the figures.
Since the onset of U.S. and Israeli military strikes on Iran, Islamic Republic officials have repeatedly released conflicting data on casualties and damage. Previously, Fatemeh Mohajerani reported the deaths of “more than 30 civilians” in attacks on southern Iran, whereas she is now citing more than 350 fatalities among civil servants alone.
