'Massacre' Unfolding in Iran as Protest Death Toll Triples to Over 500, Rights Group Warns
Iran’s security forces have carried out a brutal campaign that has claimed the lives of more than 500 people during a sweeping nationwide uprising, according to human rights monitors who say a government-led massacre may be unfolding.
— Human rights organizations report nearly 500 protesters killed and thousands arrested as Iran’s security forces intensify a brutal crackdown on nationwide anti-government demonstrations, prompting international alarm and calls for action.
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Graphic photographs circulating from Tehran show numerous body bags accumulating, a development that has led former senior US military officials to press President Donald Trump to respond decisively.
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The US-based organization Human Rights Activists in Iran (HRANA) reported on Sunday that at least 496 demonstrators have been killed during roughly two weeks of unrest gripping the authoritarian Islamic Republic.
The same report stated that 48 members of the security forces have also died, while arrests have surpassed 10,600 nationwide.
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Retired US Army General Jack Keane cautioned that many detainees could face execution, warning of grave consequences for those now behind bars.
A source in Tehran described the situation to the BBC as catastrophic, saying friends had been killed by live gunfire and that streets resembled a battlefield, with blood everywhere and bodies removed in trucks.
Iran’s attorney general, Mohammad Movahedi Azad, branded participants in the protests as “enemies of God,” a charge under Iran’s system that carries the death sentence.
HRANA’s updated fatality estimate represented more than a threefold increase over figures released just hours earlier, which had placed the death toll at 162. The numbers could not be independently verified.
The revised count came as the New York-based Center for Human Rights in Iran (CHRI) said credible accounts of mass killings were emerging, even as authorities shut down nationwide internet access late Thursday.
CHRI warned that hospitals were overflowing, blood reserves were dangerously low, and casualties were mounting rapidly. Witnesses described security forces firing rubber bullets, metal pellets, and live ammunition, often aiming at protesters’ eyes.
The group also cited reports of snipers, military-grade rifles, and surveillance drones being deployed against demonstrators.
CHRI cautioned that a massacre was in progress and urged immediate international intervention to halt further bloodshed.
During an appearance on Fox News’ “Live, Liberty & Levin,” Keane argued that the Trump administration should issue a final warning to Tehran before using US military force to remove leaders responsible for the violence.
He said the United States holds sufficient leverage to stop the regime’s actions and reiterated fears that imprisoned protesters would be executed.
Former Navy Vice Admiral Robert Harward echoed similar sentiments on “Fox & Friends Weekend,” asserting that political change in Iran is unavoidable.
Reza Pahlavi, Iran’s exiled crown prince residing in the United States, appealed directly to President Trump not to abandon Iranian citizens encouraged by his vocal support.
In a statement posted on X, Pahlavi said Trump’s expressions of solidarity had emboldened Iranians seeking freedom, claiming citizens were honoring him even as Iran’s leadership continued anti-American rhetoric.
Pahlavi contrasted Trump’s stance with previous US administrations and said a post-regime Iran would become a key partner for peace and prosperity, concluding with a call to help Iranians free themselves.
The demonstrations began on December 28, initially sparked by economic distress marked by soaring prices and a collapsing currency, but quickly evolved into the largest anti-government protests in years.
Large crowds flooded the streets, directing their anger at the ruling establishment that has governed Iran since the 1979 Islamic Revolution.
Trump has repeatedly warned that the United States would respond militarily if Iranian authorities used violence against civilians, issuing a blunt warning last week.
Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei pushed back, accusing Trump of responsibility for Iranian bloodshed in a speech broadcast Friday, as supporters chanted anti-US slogans.
Behrang Borhani of the Organization of Iranian American Communities urged continued pressure on Tehran but said Iranians were not seeking US troops on the ground.
He called instead for accountability through targeted sanctions, international probes, diplomatic isolation, and support for secure internet access to allow real-time communication among protesters.
Tehran, however, threatened retaliation against any US strikes, warning it would target American military bases in the region.
State media also blamed Washington for the unrest, announcing a three-day mourning period for those killed, whom Iranian television described as martyrs opposing the United States and Israel.
In June, the Trump administration carried out targeted airstrikes on Iran, deploying at least six bunker-busting bombs against three sites, including the heavily fortified Fordow nuclear facility buried deep beneath a mountain.
US officials are now weighing potential responses to the escalating civilian death toll, such as a broad aerial assault on Iranian military assets, though no unified strategy has yet been finalized.
The administration’s confidence has been bolstered by the recent capture of former Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro, who was transported to the United States with his wife last week to face multiple criminal charges.
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