Trump, Iranian Officials Dispute Death Toll as University Protests Continue

Student demonstrations persist at multiple Iranian universities despite government crackdowns, with protesters chanting anti-regime slogans. President Trump and Iran's foreign minister are publicly disagreeing over casualty figures from recent violence. The dispute highlights ongoing tensions between the U.S. and Iran over human rights concerns.

Student demonstrations continue across Iran’s universities despite the government’s harsh attempts to silence dissent, according to reports from Iran International and Tousi news outlets. At Tehran’s Amirkabir University of Technology, students organized a demonstration that shut down a nearby street.

Video footage from the protest captured students scattering while shouting “Don’t be afraid, we are all together,” the news sources reported. At Tehran’s Sharif University of Technology, another demonstration took place where participants reportedly called out “Death to Khamenei” and “Long live the King.” Students at Mashhad’s Medical University also gathered to protest, with demonstrators calling for “Freedom.”

The ongoing unrest has sparked a public disagreement between President Donald Trump and Iran’s top diplomat regarding the number of people killed during the government’s response. During a Friday press conference, Trump urged Iran to negotiate, stating: “Iran should make a deal. It’s a very sad situation. The Iranian people are better than their leaders. Thirty-two thousand people were killed in a short time.”

Trump further claimed: “They were going to hang 800, two weeks ago, hang some by a crane. They lift them up with a tall crane, and they play with them around the square.”

Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi disputed these numbers in a social media post on X, writing: “We are fulfilling our commitment to full transparency with our people. The government has already published the complete list of 3,117 victims in the recent terror operation, including about 200 police officers.”

The conflicting casualty figures reflect broader uncertainty about the scope of the violence. Iran International previously estimated that up to 36,000 people may have died during the crackdown in late January, with countless others wounded and jailed. A U.S.-based human rights organization informed CBS that arrest numbers exceeded 50,000 people.