Iran protest death toll racing toward 1,000 in just over two weeks, 10,600 vanished into custody?

A U.S.-based human rights organisation says it has verified the deaths of at least 490 protesters, including eight children, and 48 security personnel during two weeks of unrest in Iran, with over 10,600 people arrested nationwide. Human Rights Activists in Iran (HRA) reported evidence of lethal force, close-range gunshots, tear gas use, forced confessions, and an expanding communications blackout. Iranian authorities have not released official figures and accuse the United States and Israel of inciting unrest, while protests that began over rising prices have evolved into broader opposition to Iran’s clerical leadership.