Iran International reported Sunday that more than 36,000 people were killed during protests that erupted across Iran earlier this month, a figure that sharply contrasts with the government’s official toll of 3,117 deaths. The demonstrations began on December 28 following the collapse of the rial and lasted roughly two weeks, during which security forces reportedly carried out mass arrests and killings.
According to Iran International, the estimate is based on classified documents, field reports, and testimony from medical staff, witnesses, and victims’ families. The outlet described the violence between January 8 and 9 as the deadliest two-day civilian massacre during street protests in recorded history, alleging that the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps and Basij militia led the crackdown, with additional involvement from foreign proxies. Anonymous sources within Iran’s interior ministry said internal provincial reports place the death toll above 30,000.
Time magazine also cited a death toll exceeding 30,000, referencing accounts from doctors and first responders, though it said the figures could not be independently verified. Iranian officials dismissed the reports as fabricated, underscoring the wide gap between official and opposition accounts. Independent verification remains impossible due to Iran’s restrictions on media access.
If confirmed, the reports would mark one of the deadliest government crackdowns on protesters in modern history, highlighting how economic collapse through soaring prices, lost savings, and rapid declines in living conditions can swiftly ignite nationwide unrest.
