Top Iranian official downplays death toll, blames 'Israeli plot' as US considers strikes

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi rejected claims of mass casualties amid a recent surge in protests within the Islamic country and blamed any killings that have taken place on an "Israeli plot" intended to create a large number of casualties. 

The claim came during a wide-ranging interview on Fox News' "Special Report with Brett Baier" Wednesday evening, during which Araghchi was told estimates have indicated the death toll in his country could be anywhere between 2,500 to more than 12,000 protesters. But, according to the top Iranian official, the number is in the hundreds. 

"When terrorist elements led from outside, entered this, you know, protests and started to shoot, you know, police forces, police officers and security forces. And there were terrorist cells. They came in, they used Daesh-style terrorist operations. They got police officers, burned them alive, they beheaded them, and they started shooting at police officers and also to the people. So as a result, for three days, we had, in fact, fighting against terrorists, and not with the protesters," Araghchi said. "It was completely a different story."

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According to Araghchi, these rogue, terrorist-like actors he spoke of started shooting at civilians for "one reason," which he said was to draw the United States into the conflict. 

"They wanted to increase the number of deaths. Why? Because President Trump has said that if there are killings, he would intervene. And they wanted to drag him into this conflict," the Iranian Foreign Minister continued. "And that was exactly an Israeli plot. They started to increase the number of deaths by killing ordinary people, by killing police officers, by starting a kind of, you know, fighting inside the different cities."

Iran has seen widespread unrest since the last week of December, as the country faces a massive economic crash that spurred many in Iran to take to the streets in protest.

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Contrary to Araghchi's claims are eyewitness reports that describe government forces in Iran firing upon unarmed protesters. Some even spoke of snipers taking aim at innocent Iranians, according to testimony shared with the New York Times.

During Baier's interview with Iran's Foreign Minister, Araghchi also insisted that there are no imminent plans to hang, or otherwise execute, protesters. The top Iranian official tried to downplay the unrest erupting in his country as well, arguing there is now "a calm."    

"We are in full control," Araghchi added. "And let's, you know, hope that wisdom would prevail. And we don't go for a high level of tension, which could be disastrous for everybody."