At least 544 people have been killed, and more than 10,681 individuals arrested and transferred to prisons amid protests in Iran during the unrest, according to the Human Rights News Agency

The comments from Masoud Pezeshkian represent a hardening tone from the reformist leader, who so far has been unable to assuage the public, as anger over the country`s ailing economy exploded into a direct challenge to the nation`s theocracy