More than 2,000 people have been killed during the violent crackdown by security forces on protests in Iran, a human rights group has said, as President Trump promised Iranians that help was 'on its way'.
The US-based Human Rights Activists News Agency (HRANA) reported that it had so far confirmed the killing of 1,850 protesters, 135 people affiliated with the government and nine uninvolved civilians as well as nine children over the last 17 days despite an internet blackout.
An Iranian official also told Reuters that 2,000 people had been killed but that 'terrorists' were to blame.
Trump said Iranian authorities would 'pay a big price' for the killings and urged people to 'keep protesting'.
He has been weighing military and other options in response to the crackdown, having already announced 25% tariffs on any country trading with Iran.
The protests, which have reportedly spread to 180 cities and towns in all 31 provinces, were sparked by anger over the collapse of the Iranian currency and soaring cost of living. They quickly widened into demands for political change and became one of the most serious challenges to the clerical establishment since the 1979 Islamic revolution.
The protests escalated significantly last Thursday and were met with deadly force by authorities, masked by a near total shutdown of the internet and communication services.
HRANA said on Tuesday afternoon that, as well as confirming the killing of at least 2,003 people during the unrest, it was also reviewing reports of another 779 deaths.
'We're horrified, but we still think the number is conservative,' Deputy Director Skylar Thompson told the Associated Press.
Another group, Norway-based Iran Human Rights (IHR), meanwhile said it had confirmed the killing of at least 734 protesters. Its director, Mahmood Amiry-Moghaddam, told AFP news agency that the figures were 'based on information received from fewer than half of the country's provinces and fewer than 10% of Iran's hospitals', adding: 'The real number of those killed is likely in the thousands.'
Not long after HRANA released its latest death toll, President Trump wrote on Truth Social: 'Iranian Patriots, KEEP PROTESTING - TAKE OVER YOUR INSTITUTIONS!!! Save the names of the killers and abusers. They will pay a big price.'
Trump's national security team was expected to hold a meeting at the White House to discuss options for Iran.
In response to international outcry, a UK Foreign Secretary summoned the Iranian ambassador to protest against what she called 'the horrendous and brutal killing of Iranian protesters'.
The UN human rights chief Volker Türk has urged Iranian authorities to halt all forms of violence and repression against peaceful protesters immediately.
Amid the chaos, over 16,780 protesters have been arrested during the unrest, according to HRANA, raising concerns about the government's use of expedited trials and harsh penalties for those involved.
