Iran officially counts 3,117 deaths in December-January unrest: report

TEHRAN -- Iran's state television IRIB reported on Wednesday that 3,117 people were killed during recent unrest, citing the country's Forensic Medical Organization.

The figure is the first official death toll released by Iranian authorities since demonstrations erupted in late December. Officials had previously acknowledged "several thousand" deaths without providing a precise number. According to the report, 2,427 of those killed were described as "innocent civilians and security forces."

The US-based Human Rights Activists News Agency has estimated the death toll at 4,560, though this figure has not been independently verified.

Separately, Iran's semi-official Tasnim news agency said more than 460 government buildings were damaged or set ablaze during the protests, while over 700 banks were attacked or burned. It added that more than 480 mosques were also targeted.

Protests broke out in dozens of Iranian cities in late December following a sharp depreciation of the rial. Authorities acknowledged the demonstrations and said they were willing to address economic grievances, while warning against violence and vandalism.

The protests began peacefully but later turned violent, resulting in casualties and widespread damage to public property, mosques, government buildings, and banks, particularly on Jan 8 and 9. Iranian officials have blamed the violence on the United States and Israel.

In an opinion article published Tuesday in the Wall Street Journal, Iranian Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi said the "violent phase of the unrest lasted less than 72 hours" before security forces brought the protests under control.

He added that US threats against Iran "gave plotters an incentive" to pursue what he described as a strategy of "maximum bloodshed."

Araghchi also said that while Iran "will always choose peace over war," if the country faced new attacks, "our powerful armed forces have no qualms about firing back with everything we have," citing a contrast with the "restraint" Iran showed in June 2025.