According to the Associated Press, The death toll in two weeks of nationwide protests has risen to at least 572, according to the U.S.-based Human Rights Activists News Agency, which has been accurate in previous unrest in recent years.
It said 503 of the dead were protesters and 69 were members of security forces. More than 10,600 people also have been detained, it said. The agency relies on supporters in Iran cross-checking information.
The Iranian government has not offered overall casualty figures for the demonstrations. The Associated Press has been unable to independently assess the toll, given that internet and international phone calls are now blocked in Iran.
Trump administration looking at deadly protests in Iran “very seriously”
President Donald Trump said his administration is monitoring the deadly protests in Iran and is continuing to weigh potential military options.
“There seem to be some people killed that aren’t supposed to be killed. These are violent, if you call them leaders. I don’t know if their leaders are just they rule through violence, but we’re looking at it very seriously,” Trump told reporters on Air Force One last night. “The military is looking at it, and we’re looking at some very strong options. We’ll make a determination.”
When asked how the United States would react if Iran were to strike American military bases, Trump said, “We will hit them at levels that they’ve never been hit before.”
CNN reported earlier yesterday, there are concerns inside the administration that military strikes could backfire and undermine the protests. The concerns, the officials said, are that strikes could have the unintended effect of rallying the Iranian people to support the government, or lead Iran to retaliate with military force of its own.
Meanwhile, U.S. President Donald Trump says Iran has proposed negotiations after his threat to strike the Islamic Republic. Trump said late Sunday that his administration was in talks to set up a meeting with Tehran, but cautioned that he may have to act first as reports mount of increasing deaths and the government continues to arrest protesters.