00:23Over the past 48 hours, a war of numbers has erupted between Donald Trump
00:28and Iran's foreign minister, Abbas Arakichi, and, at the center of it all, the true death
00:35toll from Iran's January 2026 protests.
00:42On February 20th, during a White House briefing, President Trump made a stunning claim.
00:48Quote, 32,000 people were killed over a relatively short period of time in Iran.
00:53He said he felt very bad for the Iranian people, describing them as living in hell under their
01:00leaders.
01:01But he distinguished between the people and the regime.
01:05He also warned that 837 protesters were set to be hanged, and said he was considering
01:10a limited military strike to pressure Iran into a nuclear deal.
01:14They better negotiate a fair deal.
01:17They better negotiate a fair deal.
01:19You know, the people of Iran are a lot different than the leaders of Iran.
01:22And it's a very, very, very sad situation.
01:27But 32,000 people were killed over a relatively short period of time.
01:32They were going to hang 800, two weeks ago, hang, hang, some by crane.
01:38They lift them up with a tall crane, and they play them around the square.
01:42They were going to hang 837 people.
01:45And I gave them the word, if you hang one person, even one person, that you're going
01:50to be hit right then and there.
01:52I wasn't waiting two weeks and negotiating.
01:54And they gave up the hanging.
01:56They didn't hang 837.
01:58Supposedly, they didn't hang anybody.
01:59But no, I feel very badly for the people of Iran.
02:03They've lived like, they've lived in hell.
02:05No source was cited for the 32,000-figure.
02:10One day later, on February 21st, Iran responded.
02:14In a post on X, formerly known as Twitter, Foreign Minister Araghichi pushed back hard.
02:20He accused the United States of spreading exaggerated and unsubstantiated numbers.
02:25And he presented what he called transparent official data.
02:28The Iranian government claims a total of 3,117 people were killed during the January unrest.
02:36That figure includes roughly 200 security personnel.
02:39State media, including reports cited by PBS, break down the number further.
02:462,427 are described as civilians and security forces allegedly killed by what the government
02:52calls armed terrorist groups.
02:55The remainder are either unidentified or labeled as terrorists.
03:00Iran says 2,987 of the victims have been identified by name.
03:05And work is still ongoing.
03:11The protests began in January 2026, initially sparked by economic grievances, but they quickly
03:18escalated.
03:19Clashes broke out across multiple provinces.
03:22Reports emerged of live ammunition being used against crowds, mass arrests, and a near-total
03:27internet blackout.
03:30Iranian authorities described the events as riots and terrorist operations incited by foreign
03:35actors, including the United States and Israel.
03:38But human rights groups tell a very different story.
03:42The U.S.-based human rights activist news agency, Harana, estimates between 4,519 and 7,015
03:50people were killed.
03:52Their verified lower range includes over 4,000 protesters, nearly 200 security personnel,
03:58dozens of children, and bystanders.
04:00Harana also reports more than 41,800 arrests.
04:04Opposition outlet Iran International cites leaked internal documents claiming the real number
04:09could exceed 36,500, describing it as the deadliest two-day crackdown in modern history,
04:14focused on January 8th and 9th.
04:17The U.N. Special Rapporteur on Human Rights in Iran has said the true number is likely
04:21much higher than official claims, but has not provided a specific figure.
04:26So what really happened?
04:28Internet shutdowns, restricted access to hospitals and morgues, reports of quick burials about
04:33family notification, and tight state control over media all make independent verification
04:38extremely difficult.
04:39For context, during the 2019 protests in Iran, around 1,500 people were estimated to have
04:44been killed.
04:44This time, multiple reports suggest the scale may be even larger.
04:50Right now, the world is left with two very different narratives, one claiming just over
04:543,000 dead, the other suggesting tens of thousands.
05:05Subscribe to OneIndia and never miss an update.
05:10Download the OneIndia app now.
Comments