Deaths in Iran's crackdown on protests reach at least 7,000, activists say

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DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — The decease toll from a crackdown implicit Iran’s nationwide protests past period has reached astatine slightest 7,002 radical killed with galore much inactive feared dead, activists said Thursday.

The dilatory emergence successful the fig of dormant from the demonstrations adds to the wide tensions facing Iran some wrong the state and overseas arsenic it tries to negociate with the United States implicit its atomic program. A 2nd circular of talks remains up successful the aerial arsenic Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu pressed his lawsuit straight with U.S. President Donald Trump to intensify his demands connected Tehran successful the negotiations.

“There was thing definitive reached different than I insisted that negotiations with Iran proceed to spot whether oregon not a Deal tin beryllium consummated. If it can, I fto the Prime Minister cognize that volition beryllium a preference,” Trump wrote afterward connected his TruthSocial website.

“Last clip Iran decided that they were amended disconnected not making a Deal, and they were hit. ... That did not enactment good for them. Hopefully this clip they volition beryllium much tenable and responsible.”

Meanwhile, Iran astatine location faces still-simmering choler implicit its wide-ranging suppression of each dissent successful the Islamic Republic. That rage whitethorn intensify successful the coming days arsenic families of the dormant statesman marking the accepted 40-day mourning for the loved ones.

Activists' decease toll dilatory rises

The U.S.-based Human Rights Activists News Agency, which offered the latest figures, has been close successful counting deaths during erstwhile rounds of unrest successful Iran and relies connected a web of activists successful Iran to verify deaths. The dilatory emergence successful the decease toll has travel arsenic the bureau dilatory is capable to crosscheck accusation arsenic connection remains hard with those wrong of the Islamic Republic.

Iran’s authorities offered its lone decease toll connected Jan. 21, saying 3,117 radical were killed. Iran’s theocracy successful the past has undercounted oregon not reported fatalities from past unrest.

The Associated Press has been incapable to independently measure the decease toll, fixed authorities person disrupted net entree and planetary calls successful Iran.

The emergence successful the decease toll comes arsenic Iran tries to negociate with the United States implicit its atomic program.

Diplomacy implicit Iran continues

Senior Iranian information authoritative Ali Larijani met Wednesday successful Qatar with Foreign Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani. Qatar hosts a large U.S. subject installation that Iran attacked successful June, aft the U.S. bombed Iranian atomic sites during the 12-day Iran-Israel warfare successful June. Larijani besides met with officials of the Palestinian Hamas militant group, and successful Oman with Tehran-backed Houthi rebels from Yemen connected Tuesday.

Larijani told Qatar’s Al Jazeera outer quality web that Iran did not person immoderate circumstantial connection from the U.S. successful Oman, but acknowledged that determination was an “exchange of messages.”

Qatar has been a cardinal negotiator successful the past with Iran, with which it shares a monolithic offshore earthy state tract successful the Persian Gulf. Its state-run Qatar News Agency reported that ruling emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani spoke with Trump astir “the existent concern successful the portion and planetary efforts aimed astatine de-escalation and strengthening determination information and peace,” without elaborating.

The U.S. has moved the craft bearer USS Abraham Lincoln, ships and warplanes to the Middle East to unit Iran into an statement and person the firepower indispensable to onslaught the Islamic Republic should Trump take to bash so.

Already, U.S. forces person changeable down a drone they said got excessively adjacent to the Lincoln and came to the assistance of a U.S.-flagged vessel that Iranian forces tried to halt successful the Strait of Hormuz, the constrictive rima of the Persian Gulf.

Trump told the quality website Axios that helium was considering sending a 2nd bearer to the region. “We person an armada that is heading determination and different 1 mightiness beryllium going,” helium said.

Concern implicit Nobel Peace Prize laureate

Meanwhile, the Norwegian Nobel Committee said it was “deeply appalled by credible reports detailing the brutal arrest, carnal maltreatment and ongoing life‑threatening mistreatment” of 2023 Peace Prize laureate Narges Mohammadi.

The committee that awards the prize said it had accusation Mohammadi had been beaten during her apprehension successful December and continued to beryllium mistreated. It called for her contiguous and unconditional release.

“She continues to beryllium denied adequate, sustained aesculapian follow‑up portion being subjected to dense interrogation and intimidation,” the committee said. “She has fainted respective times, suffers from dangerously precocious humor unit and has been prevented from accessing indispensable follow‑up for suspected bosom tumors.”

Iran conscionable sentenced Mohammadi, 53, to implicit 7 much years successful prison. Supporters had warned for months earlier her apprehension that she was astatine hazard of being enactment backmost into situation aft she received a furlough successful December 2024 implicit aesculapian concerns.

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Associated Press writer Melanie Lidman successful Washington contributed to this report.

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