Iran state TV acknowledges 'a lot of martyrs' as death toll surpasses 3,000: report

Iranian state television acknowledged Tuesday that the Islamic Republic has lost "a lot of martyrs" in ongoing anti-government protests sweeping the country, a report said. 

The development comes as at least 2,000 people have been killed in the demonstrations, according to an activist group. The U.S.-based Human Rights Activists News Agency announced that 1,847 of the dead were protesters and 135 were members of Iran’s security forces. Other reports say the death toll is over 3,000, with the real number likely to be even higher.