Iran Death Toll Hits 65 as Crackdown Intensifies During Blackout

The confirmed death toll from 13 days of nationwide protests in Iran has risen to at least 65, according to the latest figures from the Human Rights Activists News Agency (HRANA). This total includes 50 protesters and 14 security personnel killed as clashes spread to over 500 locations across all 31 provinces.

Human rights groups warn that these numbers are likely a conservative estimate, as a near-total internet blackout continues to mask the scale of violence in major hubs like Tehran and Isfahan. Among the dead are at least nine children, prompting a joint condemnation from the leaders of the UK, France, and Germany, who have called the lethal use of force "unacceptable."

Despite the mounting fatalities, the Iranian government has signalled a further hardening of its position. Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei labeled the demonstrators "troublemakers" acting on behalf of foreign interests, while the Revolutionary Guard vowed to continue operations until the "complete defeat" of the uprising.

U.S. President Donald Trump has warned that his administration is watching the "blood" being shed and is prepared to intervene with severe economic and strategic measures if the killing of civilians does not cease. With more than 2,300 people now in detention and basic services crippled by the internet shutdown, international observers fear the country is on the precipice of a much larger humanitarian disaster.