Iran reports about 2,000 dead amid protests as UN voices dismay

An Iranian official told Reuters that around 2,000 people were killed in recent protests and blamed "terrorists" for those deaths; the UN rights chief said he was "horrified" by violence and cited UN sources reporting hundreds killed. Other organizations have published much higher and lower counts and the true total remains undetermined.

Iran has reported a large number of deaths linked to recent protests, and the situation has drawn attention from the United Nations and other groups. An Iranian official told Reuters that about 2,000 people were killed, and the official attributed the deaths of civilians and security personnel to what they called "terrorists." The UN's human rights office expressed dismay, with High Commissioner Volker Turk saying he was "horrified" by mounting violence and urging that protesters' demands be heard. Various other organizations have published differing counts, and the overall toll is not clear. Key reported details: - An Iranian official told Reuters that around 2,000 people were killed and blamed "terrorists" for deaths among civilians and security personnel. - UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Turk said he was "horrified" by violence, and a UN spokesperson cited UN sources reporting "hundreds" of deaths. - Other sources give different totals, including Iran International's estimate of over 12,000 and HRANA's confirmed count of 646; the true number is undetermined. Summary: The differing counts and public statements have drawn international attention and raised questions about the scale of the violence. Undetermined at this time.