Iran signals fast trials

IRAN'S top judge has hinted at fast trials and executions for people detained in nationwide protests against the country's theocracy, as activists said the death toll had risen to 2,572.

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Judiciary chief Gholamhossein Mohseni-Ejei made the comments in a video shared by Iranian state television on Wednesday, despite a warning from US President Donald Trump that he will “take very strong action” if executions take place.

The US-based Human Rights Activists News Agency said the number of dead had climbed to at least 2,571 early on Wednesday.

The figure dwarfs the toll from any other round of protest or unrest in Iran in decades and recalls the chaos surrounding the country’s 1979 Islamic Revolution.

After Mr Trump was informed on the number of deaths, he warned Tehran that he was terminating any negotiations and would “act accordingly”.