Iran protest casualties "severely underreported," pundit says

Iranian political analyst Amir Chahaki has warned that the true number of people killed during ongoing protests in Iran may be far higher than officially reported figures, suggesting the death toll could already run into the thousands.

Speaking on the Russian television channel Dozhd (Rain), Chahaki cited data from the human rights organization HRAI, which reports that at least 544 people have been killed to date, including 48 members of the security forces. However, he argued that these figures likely underestimate the scale of the violence.

According to Chahaki, video footage emerging from morgues points to a significantly higher number of fatalities than those acknowledged by authorities. “It is already possible to speak of several thousand people killed,” he said.

He also noted the scale of the crackdown on dissent, adding that, by various estimates, more than 50,000 people have been arrested in connection with the protests.

The protests began on December 28, 2025, when shopkeepers and merchants in Tehran’s Grand Bazaar and other commercial centres closed their businesses and joined demonstrations against a worsening economic crisis, driven by soaring inflation, skyrocketing food prices, and the Iranian rial’s sharp plunge to record lows.

Rights group HRANA reports that over 500 people, including 38 security personnel, have died during demonstrations, seven of them under 18. Authorities have arrested more than 2, 500 people since the protests began.

US President Donald Trump said Iran “called to negotiate,” as his administration weighs potential military options for intervention. Iran’s parliamentary speaker warned that American military and commercial bases will be treated as targets for retaliation if the US intervenes militarily.

Demonstrations are being seen beyond Iran’s borders. In Los Angeles, a person was detained after driving a truck through a crowd of protesters. In Tehran, the British ambassador was summoned after a protester in London tore down the Iranian embassy’s flag.

By Vafa Guliyeva