Protests in Iran, which began in late December 2025 over the country’s worsening economic conditions, have escalated into a broader challenge to its clerical leadership, which has been in power since the 1979 Islamic revolution.
Tensions with the United States have mounted since US President Donald Trump suggested that Washington could militarily intervene in Iran if there was a crackdown on protesters.
Critics of the Iranian government, primarily in the West, claim that thousands of people have died in the protests. In particular, the US-based Human Rights Activists News Agency (HRANA) put the death toll at 2,615 on Wednesday.
However, the Iranian government said these numbers have been exaggerated, and Iranian state TV reports put the figure at about 300.
On Wednesday night, Trump’s tone softened when he said he had received assurances from Iran that the killings of protesters in Iran had stopped and that executions of detained demonstrators would not go ahead.
But his earlier threats to attack Iran prompted Tehran to warn of retaliation and, on Wednesday, Qatar confirmed some personnel had been removed from the Al Udeid airbase, which hosts US armed forces, saying it was in response to “current regional tensions”.
There have been some clashes between demonstrators and security forces in Iran, resulting in deaths. An ongoing internet blackout – which entered its eighth day on Thursday – has made it particularly difficult to track the actual number of deaths, according to watchdog NetBlocks.
What do we know about the death toll in Iran?
Iran has not released an official death toll, but authorities stated this week that more than 100 members of the security forces have been killed in clashes with protesters. Opposition activists said the toll is much higher and includes more than 1,000 protesters.
HRANA said the number of people killed had climbed to at least 2,615 on Wednesday.
Norway-based organisation Iran Human Rights (IHR) reported on Wednesday that at least 3,428 protesters had been killed in a crackdown on demonstrations.
But the same day, Iranian state TV said mass funerals were taking place in Tehran that would include 300 bodies of security force members and civilians.
In an interview with Fox News on Wednesday, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi denied that Tehran had plans to execute protesters. During this interview, Araghchi downplayed the death toll that is being reported.
“I certainly deny the numbers and figures they have said. It is an exaggeration, it is a misinformation campaign, only to find excuses, only to do another aggression against Iran,” Araghchi said, adding that the number was being exaggerated to involve Trump in the conflict.
Al Jazeera cannot independently verify any of the figures that have been reported.
Among all of these figures, HRANA’s numbers are the ones that are most cited by news organisations worldwide.
What is HRANA?
According to its website, US-based HRANA is the news agency affiliated with Human Rights Activists in Iran (also known as HRAI and HRA), which is described as “a non-political and non-governmental organisation comprised of advocates who defend human rights in Iran”.
The website states that HRAI was formed in 2005 but does not name or provide details about who formed the organisation.
It says that in February 2006, a small group of Iranian activists gathered to organise protests against human rights violations in the country.
“That effort lay the foundation of a larger vision that ultimately led to the establishment of an organization later known as Human Rights Activists in Iran,” the website states, adding that, initially, the effort was focused on political prisoners. It supported victims’ families, documented abuses and ran public education campaigns in Iran.
Why is the group now based in the US?
By March 2010, the group was legally registered inside Iran, shifting from a “semi-secret organization into one which openly operated in Iran”, it states.
The organisation adds that during this time, the group decided to publicly disclose the names of its leaders. “By publicly disclosing the names of our leaders, we hoped to neutralize such suspicions that have historically led to brutal crackdowns in the past.”
However, the government did crack down on it, it says.
The website adds: “The military-style crackdown of our organization on March 2, 2010 left our members even more determined than before to re-group and ultimately rebuild the necessary infrastructure needed to continue our work despite the security risks that threatened each and every one of us.”
According to a document published by Amnesty International on March 12, 2010, HRAI reported that Iranian security forces raided the house and workplace of at least 29 of its members between March 2 and March 3, arresting 15 people.
The website adds that soon after the crackdown, HRAI registered in the US as a nonprofit organisation, and focused on recruiting skilled members, integrating technology into its operations and “obtaining appropriate sources of financial support”.
What is HRANA’s assessment of the crisis in Iran?
This week, HRANA reported that of the 2,615 people killed, 2,435 were protesters, 153 were affiliated with the government or military, and 14 were civilians who were not protesting.
Besides the death toll, HRANA has reported that 18,470 people have been arrested over the course of 617 protests in 187 cities, beginning on December 28 in Tehran.
HRANA has also published news articles online with names, photos, ages and more information about some of the people who it says have been arrested or killed.
What do we know about HRANA’s backers, members and methodology?
Al Jazeera contacted HRANA for comment, but a spokesperson declined to disclose information about the group’s members or funding sources, citing security concerns.
The spokesperson told Al Jazeera that the organisation confirms all data with primary sources, but said it could not disclose the identities of individuals or organisations in Iran with whom HRANA corroborates information. Its methodology for collecting and analysing data is not provided on its website.
Iran fought a 12-day war with Israel from June 13 to 24 in 2025.
HRANA reported that over the course of the conflict, 1,190 people were killed and 4,475 were injured in Iran. These figures included civilian and military casualties. The organisation additionally reported that during the war, 1,596 people were arrested by Iranian security forces.
By contrast, according to Iran’s Ministry of Health and Medical Education, 610 people were killed and 4,746 people were injured over the course of the war.
In September 2022, a young woman named Mahsa Amini, aged 22, was arrested in Tehran for allegedly wearing her hijab improperly. She collapsed while in custody and died in hospital a few days later.
Her death caused national outrage and widespread protests in Iran that lasted for several weeks. The slogan “woman, life, freedom” was chanted in the streets.
HRANA reported in October 2022 that 200 people died and about 5,500 people were arrested during those protests.
