Iran protests: 2,500 killed, activists say, as Trump says US will 'act accordingly'

Iran protests: 2,500 killed, activists say, as Trump says US will 'act accordingly' Protests prompted by difficult economic conditions began in late December. This video grab taken on Jan. 14, 2026 from UGC images posted on social media on Jan. 13, 2026, shows dozens of bodies lying on the ground at the Tehran Province Forensic Diagnostic and Laboratory Centre in Kahrizak, Iran.-/UGC/AFP via Getty Images U.S. President Donald Trump wearing a "happy Trump" pin speaks during a meeting with oil industry executives at the White House in Washington, D.C., U.S., January 9, 2026.Kevin Lamarque/Reuters This frame grab from videos taken between Jan. 9 and Jan. 11, 2026, and circulating on social media purportedly shows images from a morgue with dozens of bodies and mourners after crackdown on the outskirts of Iran's capital, in Kahrizak, Tehran Province. (UGC via AP)The Associated Press In this photo obtained by The Associated Press, Iranians attend an anti-government protest in Tehran, Iran, Friday, Jan. 9, 2026. (UGC via AP)The Associated Press LONDON -- More than 2,500 people have died during nationwide protests in Iran over the past 17 days, activists said Wednesday, as U.S. President Donald Trump expressed his support for demonstrators and hinted at potential American intervention against the government in Tehran. The Human Rights Activists News Agency (HRANA) said it had verified a total of 2,571 deaths -- and is reviewing reports of 779 other deaths -- since the protests began on Dec. 28. The confirmed deaths include 2,403 adult protesters, 12 protesters under the age of 18, 147 government-affiliated personnel and nine non-protesting civilians, HRANA said. Another 1,134 protesters have been seriously injured, HRANA said, with at least 18,137 people arrested. The HRANA data relies on the work of activists inside and outside the country. ABC News cannot independently verify these numbers. The Iranian government has not provided any civilian death tolls related to the ongoing protests. As casualties mounted, Trump wrote on social media on Tuesday, "Iranian Patriots, KEEP PROTESTING -- TAKE OVER YOUR INSTITUTIONS!!! Save the names of the killers and abusers. They will pay a big price." "I have cancelled all meetings with Iranian Officials until the senseless killing of protesters STOPS. HELP IS ON ITS WAY," Trump added. When later pressed by a reporter during a visit to Michigan on Tuesday on what he meant by help is on its way, Trump responded, "You're gonna have to figure that one out, I'm sorry." Trump said he thought it was "a good idea" for Americans to evacuate from Iran. The State Department on Tuesday said that all U.S. citizens should leave the country. Trump said he hasn't been given an accurate number of how many people have been killed so far in the protests, but said "one is a lot." "I think it's a lot. It's too many, whatever it is," he said. Later Tuesday, he told reporters that he will be receiving "accurate numbers" on how many protesters have been killed in Iran soon and "we'll act accordingly."...

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