Iranian regime officials confirmed that 1500 citizens were killed during Iran’s nationwide protests that erupted in November over gasoline prices, Reuters said in late December 2019.

The report said that 400 women and 17 teenagers were among those killed after security forces opened direct fire on protesters on orders of the Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei who told top officials to “do whatever it takes to stop” protesters.

Reuters said that “three Iranian interior ministry officials” confirmed the 1500 death toll adding that they were based on information gathered from security forces, morgues, hospitals and coroner’s offices.

The IRGC affiliated Tasnim News Agency said that an official in Iran’s Supreme National Security Council rejected the death toll reported by Reuters.

Iranians officials refuse to officially announce how many civilians were killed during Iran’s nationwide protests.

“The number of those killed during the incidents of November will be announced after thorough investigations and after they are separated (into various groups)”, Montazeri, Iran’s chief prosecutor said on December 20.

By various groups, Montazeri means that they are classifying slain Iranians into protesters and non-protesters to claim that the regime did not indiscriminately gun down Iranians on the streets.

On December 15, the National Council of Resistance of Iran announced that at least 1500 protesters and civilians were killed during the protests which spread to more than 180 cities in just days.