At least 5,000 killed in Iranian unrest

At least 5,000 people have been killed in protests in Iran, including about 500 security personnel, an Iranian official in the region said on Sunday, citing verified figures and accusing "terrorists and armed rioters" of killing "innocent Iranians," Report informs via Reuters.

The nationwide protests erupted on December 28 over economic hardship and swelled over two weeks into widespread demonstrations calling for the end of clerical rule - resulting in the deadliest unrest since the 1979 Islamic revolution.

US President Donald Trump has repeatedly threatened to intervene if protesters continued to be killed on the streets or were executed.

In a social media post on Friday, he thanked Tehran's leaders, saying they had called off scheduled mass executions.