dubai iranian counterprotesters gathered across the country on friday in a show of support for authorities after nearly a week of antigovernment protests and unrest over the death of a young woman who was being held by the morality police a few thousand people attended a rally in the capital tehran where they waved iranian flags and similar demonstrations were held in other cities the government claimed the demonstrations of support were spontaneous similar rallies have been held during past periods of widespread protests the progovernment demonstrators chanted against america and israel according to state media reflecting the official line that foreign countries are fomenting the latest unrest state tv meanwhile suggested the death toll from this weeks unrest could be as high as 26 antigovernment protesters and security forces have clashed in several major cities in the most severe political unrest since 2019 when rights groups say hundreds were killed amid demonstrations against a hike in statecontrolled gasoline prices iran has also disrupted internet access and tightened restrictions on popular platforms used to organize rallies like instagram and whatsapp a state tv anchor said late thursday that 26 protesters and policemen had been killed since the protests erupted last saturday after the funeral of the 22yearold mahsa amini without elaborating on how authorities reached that figure he said official statistics would be released later but during past periods of unrest authorities have not provided a full accounting of deaths and injuries a tally by the associated press based on statements from staterun and semiofficial media shows that at least 11 people have been killed most recently the deputy governor of qazvin abolhasan kabiri said that a citizen and paramilitary officer had been killed in unrest that rocked two cities in the northwestern province the crisis unfolding in iran began as a public outpouring of anger over the the death of amini a young woman who was arrested by the morality police in tehran last week for allegedly wearing her islamic headscarf too loosely the police said she died of a heart attack and was not mistreated but her family has cast doubt on that account aminis death has sparked sharp condemnation from western countries and the united nations and touched a national nerve hundreds of iranians across at least 13 cities from the capital tehran to aminis northwest kurdish hometown of saqez have poured into the streets voicing pentup anger over social and political repression authorities have alleged that unnamed foreign countries and opposition groups are trying to foment unrest the death has tapped into broader antigovernment sentiment in the islamic republic and especially the frustration of women wrote political risk firm eurasia group noting that irans hardliners have intensified their crackdown on womens clothing over the past year since former judiciary chief ebrahim raisi became president the prospect of the leadership offering concessions to iranian women is minimal it said in the cold calculus of iranian leaders the protests have likely gone far enough and a more forceful