Iran’s state television for the first time on Tuesday (Jan. 13) gave an official acknowledgement of deaths in the country’s protests after a human rights news agency reported the death toll.An Iranian official said on state-television there was “a high number of martyrs.”
The US based human rights activist news agency said the number of people killed in nationwide protests in Iran is now over 2000, with 135 of them being affiliated with the Iranian regime.
The human rights group warned that the death toll will continue to rise.
“We still think the number is conservative. The actual situation on the ground in Iran is not clear because the government cut Internet and phone lines across the country,” it said.
Iran’s state-run media has been showing footage of the aftermath of recent protests in the country.
A cyber expert said some Iranians are using Elon Musk’s Starlink satellite Internet service, but added that Starlink has also been disrupted in Iran and that it could be the result of jamming the signals coming from the satellites.
“This is consistent with what we’ve also seen during Russia’s war on Ukraine,” said Alp Toker, Director of NetBlocks. “The sophistication of what’s in use appears to be very similar to what’s in use in Ukraine, which suggests that there may even be technology sharing between what Russia has developed and what Iran is now deploying.”
He said that jamming does not cover the entire country of Iran or even entire cities.
Toker added, “We also know that people are able to drive up to the borders and get cell connectivity from neighboring countries, even from neighboring villages and Wi-Fi, so there are other alternatives.”
Relatives of people who live in Iran have been unable to contact their loved ones or even know whether they are alive.
The situation has left many wondering if or when the U.S. will intervene.
U.S. ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee said, “I’m not hearing anything at this point where America is preparing to engage militarily.
“But right now it’s, it’s really a matter of watching what is an organic movement coming up from very, very disgruntled, rightfully so, Iranian people who have decided that they can’t keep going on like this,” he said.
Many people have put their hope in US President Donald Trump who recently posted on Truth Social that “help is on its way.”
