Unrest in Iran has already claimed more than 500 lives
According to the latest data – from activists in Iran and abroad – the American human rights group HRANA said it had confirmed the deaths of 490 protesters and 48 security personnel, with more than 10,600 people arrested during two weeks of unrest.
Iran has not released official figures on casualties, and Reuters has been unable to independently verify them.
As the Islamic Republic's clerical establishment faces its biggest demonstrations since 2022, US President Donald Trump has repeatedly threatened to intervene if force is used against the protesters.
Reza Pahlavi, the son of Iran's last shah in exile and a prominent voice in the fragmented opposition, said Trump had noticed the "indescribable courage" of the Iranian people. "Don't leave the streets," Pahlavi, who lives in the US, wrote on the X portal.
The Wall Street Journal reported on Sunday that Trump's advisers were expected to brief him on Tuesday on options regarding Iran, including military strikes, the use of covert cyber weapons, the expansion of sanctions, and the provision of online assistance to anti-government sources.
(reuters, im)