A new report from Iran International on Tuesday claimed that more than 12,000 people have been killed during recent protests in Iran, with most of the deaths reportedly occurring over two consecutive nights late last week.
According to the outlet, Iran is experiencing a coordinated information blackout marked by widespread internet disruptions, media shutdowns, and intimidation tactics aimed at suppressing communication and concealing the scale of violence used against demonstrators.
Amid those conditions, Iran International said it undertook an extensive verification effort to document scattered reports of killings and repression.
The outlet gathered information from a wide range of sources, including individuals close to Iran's Supreme National Security Council, members of the presidential office, Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps personnel in multiple cities, eyewitnesses, families of victims, field reporters, and medical professionals.
The outlet's editorial board defended the veracity of the figure, saying it was reached through a "rigorous, multistage process conducted in accordance with established professional standards."
"In the largest killing in Iran's contemporary history, carried out largely over two consecutive nights, Thursday and Friday, Jan. 8 and 9, at least 12,000 people were killed," the editorial board concluded.
The protests are the latest eruption of unrest in Iran, driven by deep public anger over economic collapse, corruption, political repression, and the ruling clerical regime's use of force against dissent.
Demonstrations have repeatedly flared nationwide in recent years, with security forces responding with mass arrests, live ammunition, and internet shutdowns.
The Islamic Republic has a documented history of violently suppressing protests, including the November 2019 demonstrations, during which human rights groups estimated hundreds, and possibly thousands, were killed.
Authorities routinely deny casualty figures, restrict independent reporting, and intimidate victims' families to prevent public disclosure.
As reports of the latest crackdown emerged, President Donald Trump reportedly weighed military options to aid Iranian protesters, including potential strikes targeting Tehran's security services used to suppress demonstrations, according to U.S. officials who spoke with CNN.
Trump has also publicly voiced support for the protest movement. In a Truth Social post on Tuesday, the president wrote, "Iranian Patriots, KEEP PROTESTING - TAKE OVER YOUR INSTITUTIONS!!!
"Save the names of the killers and abusers. They will pay a big price. I have cancelled all meetings with Iranian Officials until the senseless killing of protesters STOPS. HELP IS ON ITS WAY. MIGA!!"
Iranian officials have not independently confirmed the casualty figures and continue to portray the unrest as foreign-instigated rather than a domestic uprising.
James Morley III ✉
James Morley III is a writer with more than two decades of experience in entertainment, travel, technology, and science and nature.
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