A Washington-based human rights organization has asserted that the number of people killed in Iran due to recent Israeli airstrikes could be much higher than reported, reporting at least 950 killed and more than 3,450 wounded nationwide.
The Human Rights Activists group, which tracks the Islamic Republic using its network of sources within Iran and cross-checks local reports, reported that 380 civilians and 253 members of Iran's security apparatus were among the fatalities.
The organization, which had earlier monitored casualties in the 2022 protests following the death of Mahsa Amini, cautioned that the true toll may still increase.
On Thursday, 19 June, the same group had estimated 657 deaths and over 2,037 injured. In that earlier count, 263 civilians and 164 security personnel were said to be among the victims.
At the same time, Iran's government has given much lower numbers. The Health Ministry said on Saturday, 21 June, that between 400 people had been killed and more than 3,000 injured in the Israeli bombardment, but has not so far provided a detailed breakdown or daily figures.
Tehran has also issued no casualty figures for recent United States attacks on nuclear sites.
The strikes follow heightened regional tensions that started at the beginning of this month. In a televised speech after the air strikes, Donald Trump, the former US President, stated that the US military conducted what he referred to as "massive precision strikes" on three of Iran's major nuclear facilities — Fordow, Natanz and Isfahan.
Trump characterized the attack as a "military success," stating the sites had been "completely and totally destroyed." He repeated long-standing grievances against Tehran, labeling the regime "the world's number one state sponsor of terror."
He added the aim of the attacks was the elimination of Iran's nuclear enrichment and a halt to what he termed "the nuclear threat" presented by the nation.
Iran officially remains to report the scale of damage to its nuclear facilities and the number of casualties from the US-led strikes.
The international community, comprising satellite imagery experts and the International Atomic Energy Agency, has reported extensive damage at the facilities, but complete verification is awaited.
The widely diverging casualty reports have contributed to the confusion about the scope of the destruction and the human cost within Iran.
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