Cartoon by Morten Morland

'We are facing thousands of deaths' in Iran, MEP says

Eueonews: The death toll in Iran's protests could reach thousands as the regime deliberately cuts communications to hide the scale of killings, MEP Hannah Neumann told Euronews, while expressing concern over contradictory messages from US President Donald Trump.

Neumann, a German European lawmaker from the Greens group who leads the European Parliament's delegation for relations with Iran, told Euronews in an interview that images emerging from Iran with delays of one or two days show body bags stacked together and people queuing at cemeteries to identify family members.

"I fear we will be facing thousands of deaths when a fuller picture of the situation is obtained," Neumann said.

"I also have a lot of Iranian friends who have friends and relatives in Iran who have gone to protests, but right now even our messages are not reaching them. No one knows if they have returned home, whether they have been detained or killed."

Neumann said the regime is deliberately blocking communications to transmit its propaganda while preventing the truth from reaching the world.

She called for international pressure to restore internet access and support methods to bypass communication restrictions, including Starlink satellite service.

"Iranian protesters are absolutely right to ask people in the United States, Europe, and around the world to stand by them against the brutality of this regime," Neumann said.

Trump's shifting messages on Iran a concern

The official expressed concern over Trump's shifting messages on Iran. "I'm trying, like everyone else, to figure out what Trump means by these messages," Neumann said.

"He says one thing in the morning and another in the evening. And in such volatile situations, that's very dangerous."

Neumann referenced the US operation against Venezuela's Nicolas Maduro, saying many initially celebrated but now see Trump "just pushed Maduro aside, but his system and regime continue in Venezuela. This is certainly not what the Iranian people are taking to the streets for."