KABUL: U.S. President Donald Trump has claimed that 32,000 people were killed during recent protests in Iran, describing the situation as “very sad.”
The figure was reported Friday night by CBS News, which cited remarks made by Trump during a press conference, where the president said the Iranian people are “very different from the country’s leaders.”
Trump did not specify who was included in the reported death toll.
In part of his remarks, Trump said Iranian authorities had planned to execute 837 individuals, adding that he warned them that if even one person were executed, they would face immediate consequences. “I wasn’t going to wait two weeks and negotiate,” he said, claiming that the executions were subsequently halted.
Previously, Iranian officials and state media have confirmed figures amounting to roughly 10 percent of the number cited by Trump.
Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi had earlier stated that more than 3,000 people, including protesters, security personnel, and civilians were killed during the unrest.