Reuters reported on Friday, citing human rights groups and local residents, that protests in Iran have subsided following a deadly crackdown by security forces. However, Tehran and several other cities remain under a heavy military and security presence, according to the report.
The news agency said that despite reports of sporadic unrest, the Islamic Republic has declared that “calm” has been restored nationwide. It added that state media, amid US threats of possible intervention should the killings continue, have reported further arrests of protesters.
One source told Reuters that Tehran has been calmer since Sunday, adding that drones have been flying over the city and that no signs of protests were observed on Thursday and Friday.
The human rights group Hengaw said no protest gatherings have been held since Sunday, noting that “the security environment remains highly restrictive.” The group told Reuters that its independent sources confirm a heavy military and security presence in cities and towns where protests previously took place, as well as in several areas that had not seen major demonstrations.
A resident in northern Iran, who asked not to be named for security reasons, said the streets appeared calm, although reports of sporadic unrest have continued to emerge.
Hengaw also reported that a female nurse was killed by direct fire from government forces during protests in Karaj. Meanwhile, the government-affiliated Tasnim News Agency reported clashes in Falavarjan, in Isfahan province, on Thursday.
An elderly woman living in a city in northwestern Iran told Reuters that scattered protests, though less intense, were still continuing. State broadcaster Press TV quoted Iran’s police chief as saying that calm had been restored across the country.
Earlier, the editorial board of Iran International, citing reviews of internal sources, medical data and field reports, said the death toll from the protests stood at at least 12,000. CBS News also confirmed the report, putting the number of victims at between 12,000 and 20,000.
However, the US-based human rights group Human Rights Activists News Agency (HRANA) said 2,677 people were killed, including 2,478 protesters and 163 individuals identified as affiliated with the government.
