Nearly 2000 people, including security personnel and protesters, have been killed in the widespread anti-government protests in Iran, an official said on Tuesday, reported Reuters.
This is the first time an official has acknowledged the high death toll in the nationwide unrest, which was triggered by protests against the mounting economic grievance in the country amid sanctions reimposed by the United States and Europe.
According to Reuters, the official alleged that "terrorists" were behind the deaths of both protesters and security personnel, while not giving a breakdown of who had been killed.
Iranian authorities have dismissed the violent protests as an attempt to "destabilise the country," masterminded by Israel and the US.
Rights groups based outside Iran have accused the government of using live fire against protesters and masking the scale of the crackdown with an internet blackout that has now lasted more than four days.
International phone calls however have resumed in Iran after being blocked for days, but only outgoing calls could be made.
The Norway-based NGO Iran Human Rights (IHR) said it had confirmed 648 people killed during the protests, including nine minors, but warned the death toll was likely much higher -- "according to some estimates, more than 6,000."
The internet shutdown has made it "extremely difficult to independently verify these reports", IHR said, adding that an estimated 10,000 people had been arrested.
"Iranian authorities have significantly intensified their lethal crackdown on protesters since January 8, with credible reports that security forces are carrying out large-scale killings across the country," Human Rights Watch said.
Iranian state media has said dozens of members of the security forces have been killed, with their funerals turning into large pro-government rallies. Authorities have declared three days of national mourning for those killed.
Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, speaking to Al Jazeera, insisted that the government had been "in dialogue" with the protesters in the initial phase of the movement and the internet was only cut "after we confronted terrorist operations and realised orders were coming from outside the country."
Meanwhile, US President Donald Trump, who has repeatedly threatened of military intervention, on Monday announced a 25-per cent tariff on any country doing business with Iran.
In a social media post, Trump said that the new levies would "immediately" hit the Islamic republic's trading partners who also do business with the US.
"This order is final and conclusive," he wrote, without specifying who it will affect.
Iran's main trading partners are China, Turkey, the United Arab Emirates and Iraq, according to economic database Trading Economics.
The White House said Monday that Trump remained "unafraid" to deploy military force against Iran, but was pursuing diplomacy as a first resort.
Addressing Trump's threats, Araghchi said, "We are prepared for any eventuality, and we hope Washington will choose a wise option. It doesn't matter which option they choose; we are ready for it."
In a post on X on Tuesday, Araghchi also vowed to mirror restrictions placed on Iran by European Parliament which announced it would ban Iranian diplomats and representatives.
"Iran does not seek enmity with the EU, but will reciprocate any restriction," he wrote on X.
He also criticised the European Parliament for not taking any significant action against Israel for its genocidal war in Gaza that has killed more than 71,400 Palestinians.
Meanwhile, Iran witnessed mass counter-protest rallies on Monday that supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei hailed as proof that the protest movement was defeated, in a "warning" to the US.
In power since 1989 and now 86, Khamenei has faced significant challenges, most recently the 12-day war in June against Israel which resulted in the killing of top security officials and forced him to go into hiding.
(With inputs from AP, AFP)