Iran's First Official Protest Toll: 3,117 Dead

Iran has given its first official death toll from recent nationwide protests. Authorities say 3,117 people died. The figure was announced on state television Wednesday. It came from the Interior Ministry and the Foundation of Martyrs and Veterans Affairs. This official body aids families of those killed in wars. The government released the number as it tries to reassert control. The unrest had recalled the chaos of Iran's 1979 Islamic Revolution. The official toll is far lower than estimates from activist groups abroad. Those groups fear the true number is much higher.