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Iran admits losing ‘a lot of martyrs’ as death toll surpasses 3,000: report

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Iranian state television acknowledged on Tuesday that the Islamic Republic had lost “many martyrs” in the anti-government protests that have swept the country.

This development comes as at least 2,000 people have been killed in demonstrations, according to an activist group. The US-based Human Rights Activists News Agency announced that 1,847 of the dead were protesters and 135 were members of the Iranian security forces. Other reports put the death toll at over 3,000, and the real number is likely even higher.

A news anchor on Iranian state television read a statement claiming that “armed and terrorist groups” were directing the country to “offer many martyrs to Allah,” according to the Associated Press. Iranian state television said authorities would hold a funeral on Wednesday for “martyrs and security defenders” who died in the protests.

The Iranian regime is trying to suppress the protests that started in late December, when shopkeepers and marketers demonstrated against rising inflation and the collapse of the rial. Unrest soon spread to universities and provincial towns, with young men clashing with security forces.

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Members of the Iranian police attend a pro-government rally in Tehran, Iran, Monday, January 12, 2026. (Stringer/WANA/Reuters)

“The killing of peaceful demonstrators must stop, and labeling protesters as ‘terrorists’ to justify violence against them is unacceptable,” U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Turk said on Tuesday. he said.

The U.S. Virtual Embassy in Iran issued an alert earlier today telling American citizens still in the country to leave immediately.

President Donald Trump later called on the Iranian people to “take over” the country’s institutions and said he was canceling all meetings with the Iranian regime until the crackdown on the unrest ends.

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A fire broke out in the street while Iranians were protesting in Tehran

Iranians participate in an anti-government protest in Tehran, Iran, on Friday, January 9, 2026. (UGC via AP)

In his announcement on social media, Trump promised that those responsible for the killing of anti-regime demonstrators “will pay a big price.” Iran has previously claimed to have been in contact with US officials during the protests.

“Iranian Patriots, CONTINUE TO PROTEST – TAKE YOUR INSTITUTIONS!” Trump wrote at Truth Social. “Hide the names of murderers and abusers. They will pay a high price.”