Iran Dares Trump to Provide Evidence for His 32,000 Death Toll Claim
TEHRAN -- Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi on Saturday rejected U.S. President Donald Trump’s claim that 32,000 people were killed during two days of riots in Iran last month, calling on him to provide evidence for the figure.
“Fulfilling our pledge of full transparency towards our own people, Iran’s Government has already published a comprehensive list of all 3,117 victims of recent terrorist operation, including about 200 officers,” Araghchi said in a post on social media platform X.
“If anyone disputes accuracy of our data, please share any evidence,” he added.
In a claim typical of his lies, Trump said at a news briefing on Friday that 32,000 people were killed during the January riots in Iran. He made the remarks while addressing a U.S. Supreme Court ruling striking down his sweeping tariffs, but did not cite a source for the casualty figure.
Iranian officials have previously dismissed similar claims. On Jan. 26, Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei described reports of higher death tolls circulated by anti-Iran outlets as a “big lie.”
In a post on X at the time, Baghaei referred to the figures as a “Hitler-style BIG LIE,” saying hostile actors are attempting to manufacture casualty numbers in the media after failing to achieve their objectives on the ground.
Iran’s Foundation of Martyrs and Veterans Affairs said in a statement on Jan. 21 that 3,117 people were killed during the riots. It said 2,427 of the dead were civilians and security personnel.
Iranian authorities have linked the riots and terrorist acts to the United States and Israel. Officials say Washington and Israel’s Mossad intelligence agency were involved.
Former U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo wrote in a social media post, “Happy New Year to every Iranian in the streets. Also, to every Mossad agent walking beside them.”
In a Farsi-language post, Mossad encouraged rioters to “Go out together into the streets. The time has come,” adding that its agents were with them “not only from a distance and verbally” but also “in the field.”