Shafaq News– Tehran

The Iran Human Rights organization reported on Monday that at least 648 demonstrators have been killed during ongoing protests across the country, urging the international community to take action to protect civilians from “mass killings by the Islamic Republic.”

Agence France-Presse cited Mahmoud Amiri-Moghaddam, the Oslo-based group’s director, who said “some estimates suggest the death toll could exceed 6,000,” but cautioned that Iran’s internet shutdown for nearly four days has made it “extremely difficult to independently verify these reports.”

Separately, Iran’s parliament accused foreign powers of fueling the unrest.

Earlier on Monday, Ebrahim Azizi, spokesperson for the Iranian parliament’s National Security and Foreign Policy Committee, said parliamentary investigations had uncovered what he described as “clear and hidden evidence” of US and Israeli involvement in the protests.

Speaking after a committee meeting, Azizi said the session reviewed the latest security developments and concluded that “security is stable across all regions of the country, with no exceptional security challenges.”

Azizi also claimed that “the vast majority” of those killed during the protests died at the hands of individuals linked to foreign actors and operating under their direction, describing the situation as what he called a “terrorist war” against the Iranian people.

Tens of thousands of Iranians took to the streets across the country, local media outlets reported on Monday, answering official calls condemning “rioters and armed terrorists” and supporting the regime.

Nationwide economic protests erupted on December 28 after the Iranian rial dropped to a record low of about 1.45 million per US dollar, triggering sharp increases in food prices and inflation. Demonstrations have since spread to cities across the country.