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New Delhi: The death toll in the ongoing violent protests in Iran has risen to at least 35, according to rights groups, as demonstrations continued across large parts of the country with no signs of abating anytime soon.
An AP report, quoting US-based Human Rights Activists News Agency said at least 29 protesters, four children and two members of Iran's security forces had been killed during more than a week of unrest. The group also reported that over 1,200 people had been arrested by the security forces.
Amid widespread protests Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei is reportedly planning to flee Tehran for Russia if protests spiral beyond the control of his security forces.
Khamenei, 86, would leave with up to 20 aides and family members if it becomes clear that the army and security forces tasked with suppressing protests are defecting, refusing orders, or failing to hold the line, The Times reported, citing an intelligence source.
The widespread protests have been recorded at more than 250 locations across 27 of Iran's 31 provinces.
Iranian state-linked media have acknowledged widespread injuries among security personnel. The semi-official Fars news agency, which is considered close to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, reported late on Monday that about 250 police officers and 45 members of the Basij volunteer force had been injured during the demonstrations.
The rising death toll has also drawn international attention. US President Donald Trump warned Tehran on Friday that if authorities "violently kill peaceful protesters", the United States would "come to their rescue". While it remains unclear whether or how Washington might intervene, the comments gained significance following the US military's reported capture of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro, a close ally of Iran.
The current unrest marks the largest wave of protests in Iran since 2022, when the death of Mahsa Amini, a 22-year-old woman who died in police custody, triggered nationwide demonstrations. However, analysts say the present protests have not yet matched the scale or intensity of those earlier uprisings.
Iran has witnessed repeated nationwide protests in recent years amid economic hardship and political discontent. Following tighter sanctions and economic strain after a 12-day conflict with Israel in June, the Iranian rial collapsed in December, plunging to about 1.4 million to the US dollar. Protests over the economic crisis began shortly thereafter.
Another US-based group, Human Rights Activists in Iran, said the unrest has spread to at least 78 cities and 222 locations, with demonstrators openly calling for an end to the Islamic Republic.
Among those reported killed are several minors. The Oslo-based Hengaw Organization for Human Rights said 15-year-old Mostafa Falahi was shot dead by security forces on January 1 in the central city of Azna. It also reported that 17-year-old Rasul Kadivarian and his 20-year-old brother, Reza, were killed on January 3 when security forces fired on protesters in Kermanshah.
Human rights groups have also confirmed the death of a third 17-year-old in the central city of Qom, whose identity has not yet been verified.
Skylar Thompson, deputy director of Human Rights Activists in Iran, said the organisation had documented at least 44 arrests of children during the protests, according to a Guardian report.
"These numbers provide clear evidence that youth are present throughout the ongoing protests," Thompson said. "The indiscriminate targeting of a civilian population must be widely condemned as a violation of international law, especially with the clear illustration of children present."
During the 2022 "Woman, Life, Freedom" protests, more than 500 people were reportedly killed, including at least 60 children, according to rights groups.
