{"id":686,"date":"2026-01-14T16:54:28","date_gmt":"2026-01-14T09:54:28","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/al-ahwaz.com\/?p=686"},"modified":"2026-01-14T16:54:28","modified_gmt":"2026-01-14T09:54:28","slug":"iran-protests-leave-at-least-2571-dead-as-trump-pledges-support","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/al-ahwaz.com\/?p=686","title":{"rendered":"Iran Protests Leave at Least 2,571 Dead as Trump Pledges Support","gt_translate_keys":[{"key":"rendered","format":"text"}]},"content":{"rendered":"

The number of people killed during ongoing protests in Iran<\/a><\/strong> has reached at least 2,571, according to the U.S.-based rights organisation Human Rights Activists News Agency<\/span><\/span><\/strong><\/a> (HRANA). The protests mark the most serious challenge to Iran\u2019s clerical leadership in several years and have prompted renewed warnings from Washington.<\/p>\n

The unrest comes amid heightened regional tensions following last year\u2019s Israeli and U.S. air strikes on Iranian targets linked to its nuclear programme. Analysts warn that any fresh confrontation between Washington and Tehran could further destabilise the Middle East, already strained by the prolonged conflict in Gaza.<\/p>\n

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Trump urges protesters to continue<\/h4>\n

U.S. President Donald Trump<\/span><\/span><\/strong><\/a> said on Tuesday that Iranians should continue demonstrating, adding that \u201chelp is on the way.\u201d When asked to clarify his remarks, Trump told reporters they would have to interpret his meaning themselves, while reiterating that military options remained under consideration.<\/p>\n

Trump has also announced 25 percent import tariffs on goods from countries that continue to trade with Iran, a move aimed at increasing pressure on Tehran. China, which purchases a large share of Iran\u2019s oil exports, quickly criticised the decision.<\/p>\n

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Iranian authorities reject foreign accusations<\/h4>\n

Iranian officials have denied responsibility for the scale of the violence, instead accusing the United States and Israel of fomenting unrest. Authorities have described those killed as victims of \u201cterrorist operatives\u201d allegedly acting with foreign direction.<\/p>\n

HRANA said it has verified the deaths of 2,403 protesters, 147 individuals linked to government forces, 12 minors, and nine civilians not involved in demonstrations. Iranian officials acknowledged on Tuesday that roughly 2,000 people had died, marking the first time authorities released an overall figure since the protests began more than two weeks ago.<\/p>\n

\"Iran<\/p>\n

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Escalating international tensions<\/h4>\n

According to an Israeli source, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu<\/span><\/span><\/strong> discussed the possibility of U.S. intervention in Iran during a phone call with U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio<\/span><\/span><\/strong>. Iranian leaders have warned that any attack would trigger retaliation against Israeli and U.S. interests in the region.<\/p>\n

Trump has said he suspended all contacts with Iranian officials until what he described as the \u201csenseless killing\u201d of protesters ends. In separate remarks, he urged Iranians to document abuses, warning that those responsible would face consequences.<\/p>\n

\n

Diplomatic outreach intensifies<\/h4>\n

As pressure mounts, Tehran has stepped up diplomatic engagement with neighbouring states. Iranian officials have held talks with counterparts in Qatar, Turkey, and Iraq, while Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi<\/span><\/span><\/strong> spoke with leaders in the United Arab Emirates, one of Iran\u2019s major trading partners and a close U.S. ally.<\/p>\n

Araqchi also contacted French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot<\/span><\/span><\/strong>, calling on France to oppose what he described as foreign interference in Iran\u2019s internal affairs. France, meanwhile, summoned Iran\u2019s ambassador to protest what it labelled an \u201cunbearable and inhumane\u201d crackdown.<\/p>\n

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Protests rooted in economic crisis<\/h4>\n

The demonstrations began on December 28 after a sharp decline in the value of Iran\u2019s rial and have since expanded into broader calls for political change. Despite the unrest, analysts note there are no visible signs of fractures within Iran\u2019s security leadership that could threaten the system established after the 1979 Islamic Revolution.<\/p>\n

Iranian authorities have adopted a dual strategy, combining a security crackdown with public acknowledgment that economic grievances are legitimate. During a visit to a Tehran prison, Iran\u2019s chief justice Gholamhossein Mohseni Ejei<\/span><\/span><\/strong> stressed the need for swift punishment of those accused of violent acts to prevent further unrest.<\/p>\n","protected":false,"gt_translate_keys":[{"key":"rendered","format":"html"}]},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The number of people killed during ongoing protests in Iran has reached at least 2,571, according to the U.S.-based rights organisation Human Rights Activists News Agency (HRANA). The protests mark the most serious challenge to Iran\u2019s clerical leadership in several years and have prompted renewed warnings from Washington. The unrest comes amid heightened regional tensions […]<\/p>\n","protected":false,"gt_translate_keys":[{"key":"rendered","format":"html"}]},"author":1,"featured_media":688,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[13],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-686","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news"],"aioseo_notices":[],"gt_translate_keys":[{"key":"link","format":"url"}],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/al-ahwaz.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/686","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/al-ahwaz.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/al-ahwaz.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/al-ahwaz.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/al-ahwaz.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=686"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/al-ahwaz.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/686\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":689,"href":"https:\/\/al-ahwaz.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/686\/revisions\/689"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/al-ahwaz.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/688"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/al-ahwaz.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=686"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/al-ahwaz.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=686"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/al-ahwaz.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=686"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}