Government Claims 3,117 Dead in Iran Protests

Iranian government agencies have released an official death toll for the protests that began on December 28, 2025, claiming a total of 3,117 fatalities. Of these, 2,427 were described as “martyrs,” a designation used by the government to include members of the security services, pro-regime demonstrators, or individuals it claims were accidentally killed during clashes between protesters and security forces. None of these figures can be independently verified as long as Iran remains offline. However, historically, protests in Iran have not involved sustained, organized clashes among competing civilian demonstrators. Rather, violence has overwhelmingly occurred between protesters and state security forces. On this basis, the individuals labeled “martyrs” were likely either members of the security services, protesters mischaracterized as regime supporters, or civilians whose deaths are being attributed to accidental circumstances.

• January 21: Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps-affiliated Tasnim News Agency reposted a statement from the Supreme National Security Council on its Telegram channel. According to the statement, 3,117 people were killed in the protests, 2,427 of whom were “martyrs,” meaning they were either members of the security forces or have been characterized as regime supporters.
• January 21: The Martyr Foundation, quoted on Tasnim’s website, confirmed the Supreme National Security Council’s data.

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