Iranian FM rebuts Trump’s claim of protest death toll, invites evidence

Iran’s Foreign Minister, Seyed Araghchi, has defended the government’s official death toll from recent anti-government protests, saying Tehran has published a comprehensive list of all 3,117 victims, including roughly 200 security officers.

In a post on X, Araghchi  invited anyone disputing the figures to provide evidence, Caliber.Az reports. 

“If anyone disputes accuracy of our data, please share any evidence,” he wrote. 

Fulfilling our pledge of full transparency towards our own people, Iran's Government has already published a comprehensive list of all 3117 victims of recent terrorist operation, including about 200 officers.
If anyone disputes accuracy of our data, please share any evidence.

— Seyed Abbas Araghchi (@araghchi) February 21, 2026

The comments were made in response to remarks by US President Donald Trump on February 20, in which he claimed that as many as 32,000 people had been killed during the protests—a figure far exceeding previous reports.

Mass demonstrations erupted across Iran in January, with protesters challenging the government before a crackdown brought the unrest to an end. January 8 and 9 are widely regarded as the deadliest days since the establishment of the Islamic Republic in 1979. An internet blackout has made it difficult to verify the full scale of casualties, injuries, and arrests.

Multiple sources, including one inside Iran speaking to CBS News, have suggested that the death toll may be significantly higher than official numbers, with estimates ranging from at least 12,000 to possibly 20,000. Eyewitnesses described scenes resembling a massacre of protesters in public spaces.

Iran International has reported that more than 36,500 people were killed over just two days in January and that tens of thousands were arrested.

By Sabina Mammadli