‎Iran Protest Death Toll Reportedly Tops 16,500 as Doctors Warn of 'Genocide in Digital Darkness'

‎Iran’s government is accused of killing at least 16,500 people and injuring more than 330,000 others during a brutal crackdown on nationwide anti-regime protests, according to a disturbing new report compiled by medical professionals.

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‎Iranian doctors claim more than 16,500 people have been killed and over 330,000 injured as security forces violently suppress nationwide protests amid an internet blackout.

‎AP/Reuters

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‎The figures were gathered from eight large hospitals and 16 emergency departments across the country. Doctors estimate that between 16,500 and 18,000 people have lost their lives, with the majority of victims believed to be under the age of 30.

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‎Professor Amir Parasta, an Iranian-German eye surgeon speaking on behalf of dozens of doctors in Tehran, described the violence as unprecedented. He said medical workers are witnessing levels of brutality far beyond what they encountered during previous unrest.

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‎Parasta explained that while security forces previously relied on rubber bullets and pellet guns that caused severe eye injuries, they are now using military-grade weapons. Surgeons are treating gunshot and shrapnel wounds to the head, neck, and chest.

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‎He added that many doctors on the ground are traumatized, noting that these are experienced surgeons who have treated war casualties before but are now overwhelmed by what they are seeing.

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‎The report states that between 330,000 and 360,000 people have been injured, including children and pregnant women. At least 1,000 individuals have lost an eye, with one Tehran hospital alone recording 7,000 eye-related injuries.

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‎An ophthalmologist told reporters that the volume of shotgun-related eye wounds has made it impossible to decide who should receive treatment first.

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‎The protests began on December 28 and rapidly spread to all 31 provinces. What started as demonstrations over economic collapse quickly escalated into the most significant challenge to Iran’s clerical leadership since the 1979 Islamic Revolution.

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‎Authorities responded by deploying the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps and the Basij militia, using overwhelming force to suppress the unrest, according to human rights groups and eyewitnesses.

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‎As the death toll rose, the government enforced an almost complete internet shutdown on January 8, cutting off the country for more than eight days. The blackout was widely viewed as an attempt to conceal the scale of the killings and prevent evidence from reaching the outside world.

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‎Calling the situation a “genocide under the cover of digital darkness,” Parasta said officials openly threatened to continue killing until the protests ended.

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‎Despite the blackout, graphic footage emerged showing bodies stacked inside and outside morgues, including at Tehran’s Kahrizak forensic center. Families searching for missing loved ones reportedly faced intimidation and threats.

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‎One person who fled Iran said the IRGC opened fire indiscriminately one night, calmly aiming at people’s heads. Another witness recalled snipers positioned on rooftops shooting victims in the back of the head.

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‎Doctors also reported that many patients died due to severe blood shortages. Although medical staff donated blood across multiple hospitals, security forces allegedly prevented transfusions in certain cases.

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‎A Tehran surgeon said doctors often fought for hours to save lives, only to lose patients because they were denied blood transfusions.

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‎The unfolding violence has strained relations with the United States. President Donald Trump ordered the Pentagon to prepare military strike options following reports that Iran was planning mass executions.

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‎However, the White House later stepped back after Tehran reportedly halted the executions.