Iran Protests: A Tale of Two Death Tolls

Iranian state TV reports that 3,117 people were killed in recent protests that began on December 28, which differs from activists' count of 4,560. The Martyrs Foundation stated that 2,427 of the fatalities were either civilians or security forces. Independent verification remains challenging.

In a recent report, Iranian state television declared an official death toll of 3,117 for the protests that started on December 28. The announcement offers a significantly lower figure than activists' reported count of 4,560.

The state's tally, provided by the Martyrs Foundation, revealed that 2,427 of those killed were either civilians or part of the security forces, leaving the remaining numbers unexplained.

The U.S.-based Human Rights Activists News Agency maintained their figure of 4,560 deaths, a number verified by a network of local activists. Attempts by the Associated Press to independently confirm the death toll have been unsuccessful.

(With inputs from agencies.)