Ashhar Alam | New Delhi

Iran’s violent suppression of nationwide protests has pushed the death toll to at least 5,002, activists said on Friday, as the country remains gripped by what is being described as the most extensive internet blackout in its history, now stretching beyond two weeks.

The communications shutdown, imposed on January 8, has severely restricted the flow of information out of Iran, even as tensions with the United States escalate. The standoff has sharpened with the movement of an American aircraft carrier group toward the Middle East, a deployment US President Donald Trump likened to an “armada”.

Rights groups say the true scale of casualties may be significantly higher. According to the US-based Human Rights Activists News Agency (HRANA), those killed include 4,716 protesters, 203 government-affiliated personnel, 43 children, and 40 civilians not directly involved in demonstrations. The group also estimates that more than 26,800 people have been detained amid an expanding arrest campaign.

HRANA’s figures, drawn from a network of activists inside Iran, have proven reliable during previous periods of unrest. If confirmed, the current toll would mark the deadliest episode of protest-related violence in Iran in decades, evoking memories of the upheaval surrounding the 1979 Islamic Revolution.

Iran’s government has offered a far lower figure. On Wednesday, authorities said 3,117 people were killed, claiming many of the dead were security personnel and labelling others as “terrorists”. Tehran has previously been accused of underreporting casualties during periods of unrest.

Independent verification remains difficult. The Associated Press and other international media outlets say they are unable to confirm casualty numbers due to internet restrictions, blocked international calls, and tight limits placed on journalists operating inside Iran. State television has repeatedly portrayed demonstrators as “rioters” allegedly backed by the United States and Israel, without presenting evidence.

The deteriorating situation has unfolded alongside rising geopolitical strain. Trump has drawn two red lines over Iran’s response to the protests the killing of peaceful demonstrators and the prospect of mass executions. Iranian officials have referred to some detainees as “mohareb”, or “enemies of God”, a charge that carries the death penalty and was used during mass executions in 1988.

Trump has repeatedly claimed that Iran halted the execution of 800 detainees, but Iran’s top prosecutor, Mohammad Movahedi, firmly rejected the assertion on Friday. “This claim is completely false,” he said, according to the judiciary’s Mizan news agency, adding that Iran does not take instructions from foreign powers.

Meanwhile, the US military has continued to reinforce its presence in the region. The aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln and its strike group have moved from the South China Sea into the Indian Ocean. Trump said the deployment was precautionary, adding that Washington had a “massive fleet” heading toward Iran “just in case”.

Analysts caution that the military buildup keeps the option of force on the table, even if direct action has so far been avoided. “While airstrikes alone would be unlikely to destabilise the regime, the continued movement of military assets suggests kinetic action remains possible,” the New York-based Soufan Centre said in a note.

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Adding to the show of force, the UK Defence Ministry said its joint Eurofighter Typhoon squadron with Qatar had been deployed to the Gulf for defensive purposes amid regional tensions.

Inside Iran, the Revolutionary Guard marked its annual “Day of the Guardian” with a state television broadcast showcasing military drones, including models previously used by Russia in Ukraine. During the programme, a masked individual identified as a security official issued a veiled warning toward Israel, underscoring the increasingly confrontational tone as Iran faces its gravest internal crisis in years.