The death toll from sweeping anti-government protests in Iran has climbed to at least 2,000 over just 16 days, according to new figures released by the U.S.-based Human Rights Activists News Agency (HRANA).

The updated data underscores the scale of the unrest gripping the country, as demonstrations expand nationwide and international pressure on Tehran intensifies.

Khamenei Blames Donald Trump as Deadly Protests Grip Iran and the People Fight the IRGC - USA Herald

HRANA Reports Widespread Casualties and Arrests Across Iran

According to HRANA, at least 10,721 people have been arrested amid protests recorded in 606 locations across 187 cities in all 31 provinces. Among those killed are at least nine children. The group’s figures rely on a network of activists inside and outside Iran, and while outlets such as ABC News report they cannot independently verify the numbers, since the government has not released any official death toll.

Earlier on Tuesday, HRANA reported 646 deaths, then sharply revised the figure upward. The organization also said that 133 members of Iran’s military and security forces, along with one prosecutor, have been killed during the unrest. Iranian state-aligned media have separately claimed that more than 100 security personnel have died.

Death toll in Iran protest crackdown rises to 29 - rights group | Iran International

Iran Government Responds as Protests Spread

Iran’s theocratic government, led by Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, has moved aggressively to suppress the demonstrations. Security forces have reportedly used tear gas and live ammunition to disperse crowds. Authorities have framed the protests not as a grassroots uprising but as a foreign-backed conspiracy.

Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi described the unrest as a “terrorist war” during remarks to diplomats in Tehran, echoing official claims that the protests are driven by the United States, Israel, and other outside actors. State television has broadcast footage of pro-government rallies, including crowds waving Iranian flags in Tehran’s Revolution Square, which it described as an “Iranian uprising against American-Zionist terrorism.”

HRANA: Hundreds of dead protesters piled at forensic center | The Jerusalem Post

Trump Administration Holds Emergency Iran Meetings

As violence escalated, members of U.S. President Donald Trump’s national security team — including Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, and CIA Director John Ratcliffe — met Tuesday morning to discuss the situation, according to White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt. Vice President JD Vance also convened a separate strategy session with National Security Council principals later in the day.

Trump himself did not attend the initial meeting but has been vocal publicly. In a post on social media, he urged demonstrators to continue their efforts, writing, “Iranian Patriots, KEEP PROTESTING – TAKE OVER YOUR INSTITUTIONS!!! Save the names of the killers and abusers. They will pay a big price.”

He added, “I have cancelled all meetings with Iranian Officials until the senseless killing of protesters STOPS. HELP IS ON ITS WAY.” When pressed by reporters in Michigan on what that help might entail, Trump replied, “You’re gonna have to figure that one out, I’m sorry.”

Sanctions, Tariffs, and Military Options on the Table

On Monday, Trump announced a sweeping new economic measure: a 25% tariff on any country doing business with Iran. “Effective immediately, any Country doing business with the Islamic Republic of Iran will pay a Tariff of 25% on any and all business being done with the United States of America,” Trump wrote. “This Order is final and conclusive.”

China, one of Tehran’s key trading partners, pushed back. Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning said, “There are no winners in a tariff war,” adding that Beijing supports Iran in maintaining national stability and opposes foreign interference.

A U.S. official told ABC News that additional options under consideration include new sanctions targeting senior regime figures or Iran’s energy and banking sectors. Leavitt also confirmed that military action has not been ruled out, stating that airstrikes remain “one of the many, many options” available to the president.

HRANA Death Counts, Internet Blackout and International Condemnation

Iran has imposed a sustained nationwide internet shutdown, now lasting more than 108 hours, according to online monitoring group NetBlocks. The U.S. State Department has urged Americans to leave Iran, warning of continued outages and advising travelers to consider departing by land to Armenia or Türkiye via guidance posted on the U.S. “virtual” Embassy Tehran website.

The United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, Volker Türk, said he was “horrified by the mounting violence against protesters” and called on Iranian authorities to halt repression and restore full internet access. Dissident figures abroad, including exiled Crown Prince Reza Pahlavi, have also appealed directly to Trump to intervene. “Time is of the essence,” Pahlavi wrote on X, urging action to support the Iranian people.