Diaspora commissioner reports at least two deaths among Iranian-Armenians

At least two Iranian-Armenians are among those killed in Iran’s unrest, according to Armenia’s diaspora affairs chief. 

High Commissioner for Diaspora Affairs Zareh Sinanyan said on Thursday that his office has no direct contact with members of the Armenian community in Iran amid the Islamic Republic’s internet blackout.

“One death is confirmed; I believe the second has also been confirmed. Different figures are being mentioned, but I personally know of two confirmed deaths. We know there are casualties, but there is no concrete information,” he told reporters.

“We receive information about the Armenian community in Iran thanks to people coming from Iran to Armenia. We have no direct contact. The internet and communication channels there are shut down; as of yesterday, we did not even have contact with our embassy,” Sinanyan noted.

Addressing possible steps to evacuate Iranian-Armenians, Sinanyan said: “You know, it is impossible to discuss such issues in a vacuum. We need to understand the situation on the ground, to have at least minimal information about what is happening.”

In response to a question about whether there is an influx from Iran to Armenia, Sinanyan said there is no large flow.

Various Western estimates have indicated that the death toll in Iran could be anywhere from 2,500 to more than 12,000 protesters in a crackdown on inflation-related demonstrations that began on 28 December 2025. Some countries and human rights groups have accused the Iranian government of violently suppressing peaceful protests. Iran, on the other hand, has denied targeting peaceful demonstrators, claiming that foreign-backed terrorists infiltrated the protests and incited violence. Iran hasn't released an official death toll but according to Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi the number is in the hundreds, including security forces.