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Iranian FM denies claims that 30,000 people died during protests

31 January 2026 12:25 (UTC +04:00)

Claims that 30,000 people were killed during protests in Iran are false, said Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi in an interview with CNN Turk, APA reports.

“There is a difference between protesters and terrorists who commit provocative acts. We witnessed rationally held protests over the country’s economic situation from December 28 to January 8. These protests are acceptable, and even our president was engaging in dialogue with the protesters on certain issues,” Araghchi said.

The Iranian minister stressed that the nature of the events changed from January 8 to 10: “Armed terrorists who infiltrated among the protesters began opening fire on security personnel. They even targeted ordinary citizens.”

According to him, those who committed these acts intended to attract the support of the US president.

Araghchi added that the official number of those killed in the protests is 3,117, and up to 2,000 of them are considered martyrs.