At least 5,000 people were killed in the protests that gripped Iran this month , according to an Iranian official, 500 of whom were security personnel.  The toll is the highest yet cited by a government source for the nationwide protests that shook Iran’s establishment and brought the United States to the brink of intervention.  The Iranian official, who was quoted by Reuters, blamed "Israel and armed groups abroad" for the high number of people killed, and said the government’s official count