Iran International Claims 12,000 Killed in Nationwide Protest Crackdown

London / Tehran: Iran International, an opposition-linked media outlet, has claimed that at least 12,000 people were killed by Iranian security forces during a nationwide crackdown on anti-regime protests, describing the episode as the deadliest wave of state violence in Iran’s modern history.

The figure stands in sharp contrast to an estimate provided by an Iranian official to Reuters, who put the death toll at around 2,000 and attributed much of the violence to what the government described as “terrorist” actions. The claim by Iran International also far exceeds the numbers reported so far by human rights organisations and media outlets, which have confirmed several hundred deaths, while stressing that independent verification remains extremely difficult due to severe information restrictions inside Iran.

According to Iran International, the killings were largely carried out by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) and Basij paramilitary forces, with the most intense violence occurring during the nights of January 8 and 9. The outlet said the crackdown was coordinated and systematic, rejecting official characterisations of the violence as isolated or unplanned clashes between protesters and security forces.

The report further alleged that the operation was conducted on the direct orders of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, with the knowledge and approval of senior political and security officials. It claimed that authorisation for the use of live ammunition was issued by Iran’s Supreme National Security Council.

Iran International said its estimate of at least 12,000 deaths reflects casualty figures held internally by Iran’s own security institutions. It stated that the data was compiled and cross-checked using multiple sources, including individuals close to the Supreme National Security Council and the presidential office, sources within the IRGC, eyewitness accounts, medical officials, and records from hospitals and clinics across several cities.

“This information was examined and verified through multiple stages and in accordance with strict professional standards before publication,” the outlet said, adding that a significant proportion of those killed were under the age of 30.

The website said publication of the report was delayed due to the need to verify information amid what it described as a coordinated nationwide blackout. Internet disruptions, media shutdowns, intimidation of journalists and witnesses, and restrictions on communications were aimed not only at maintaining security control, it said, but also at concealing the scale of the killings.

“In a country where authorities deliberately restrict access to information, producing an accurate assessment is time-consuming,” the report noted, warning that releasing incomplete figures risked underrepresenting the true extent of the violence.

By Sunday, Iran International said, the volume of evidence and the convergence of accounts had reached a threshold that allowed for a more reliable estimate. Its editorial board said the information was reviewed through a multi-stage process drawing on sources in Mashhad, Kermanshah and Isfahan, as well as testimonies from victims’ families and healthcare workers.

The outlet concluded that the crackdown was unprecedented in Iran’s contemporary history in terms of its geographic scale, intensity and death toll over a short period, with most victims reportedly killed by gunfire during coordinated operations by IRGC and Basij forces. It acknowledged that establishing a definitive casualty figure would require further documentation, particularly under ongoing communication restrictions, noting that previous protest crackdowns have seen authorities withhold or revise official death tolls.

“The Islamic Republic cannot conceal this crime by cutting the people of Iran off from the world,” the outlet said. “The truth will be recorded, and the names of those killed will not be buried in silence.”