US-based rights group says verified death toll of Iran's protests rises to 2,571

DUBAI- The death toll from protests in Iran has reached 2,571 people, the U.S.-based HRANA rights group said on Wednesday, as the Islamic Republic's clerical rulers face the biggest wave of dissent in years.

U.S. President Donald Trump urged Iranians on Tuesday to keep protesting, promising help is on the way. Iranian officials, however, have accused U.S. and Israel of fuelling violence in the country and blamed the deaths on "terrorist operatives" receiving foreign guidance to instigate.

The group said it had so far verified the deaths of 2,403 protesters, 147 government-affiliated individuals, 12 people aged under 18 and nine non-protester civilians.

An Iranian official said on Tuesday about 2,000 people had been killed, the first time authorities have given an overall death toll from more than two weeks of nationwide unrest.

Asked what he meant by "help is on its way", Trump told reporters they would have to figure that out. Trump has said military action is among the options he is weighing to punish Iran over the crackdown.

The unrest, sparked by dire economic conditions, has posed the biggest internal challenge to Iran's rulers for at least three years and has come at a time of intensifying international pressure after Israeli and U.S. strikes last year.

- Dubai Newsroom; Writing by Nayera Abdallah, Editing by Christopher Cushing and Lincoln Feast/Reuters