More than 200 protesters have been killed in Tehran after Iranian security forces opened fire on demonstrations that surged across the country, a doctor in the capital has claimed, offering one of the starkest accounts yet of an escalating crackdown.
Speaking to TIME on condition of anonymity, the doctor said just six hospitals in Tehran had recorded at least 217 deaths, most of them caused by live ammunition. If confirmed, the figure would mark a dramatic and bloody turning point in protests that have swept Iran since late December.
Internet Blackout Fuels Fears Of Wider Crackdown
The reported death toll comes amid a near-total shutdown of internet and phone services across Iran since Thursday night, a move widely seen as a precursor to mass repression. It also puts Iran’s leadership on a collision course with US President Donald Trump, who warned earlier on Thursday that the regime would “pay hell” if it killed protesters.
The demonstrations, now reported in all 31 provinces, began as protests against an economy in steep decline. They quickly evolved into broader calls for the overthrow of Iran’s Islamic leadership, which has ruled the country of about 92 million people since the 1979 revolution.
Young Protesters Among Dead, Doctor Says
The doctor said authorities removed bodies from hospitals on Friday, adding that many of those killed were young people. He described one incident outside a police station in northern Tehran, where security forces allegedly fired machine guns at demonstrators, killing several “on the spot”.
Activists said at least 30 people were shot dead in that attack alone. While protests have largely remained peaceful, with crowds chanting slogans such as “Freedom” and “Death to the Dictator”, some government buildings have been vandalised.
Human rights organisations have reported significantly lower casualty figures, though they caution that verification remains difficult. The Washington-based Human Rights Activist News Agency, which counts only identified victims, said at least 63 people have been killed since the unrest began, including 49 civilians.
For much of the first 11 days of protests, uncertainty surrounded how far the authorities would go to suppress dissent. A riot police officer in a Kurdish city in northwest Iran told TIME earlier this week that confusion had spread within the security forces themselves.
“There is a lot of disagreement now among security forces” over whether a sweeping crackdown would restore order or inflame public anger, the officer said, speaking anonymously. “There is 100% confusion.”
He added that key decisions were being taken behind closed doors, with little information shared even with senior officers. “I’m a senior rank here, and I don’t know what’s happening,” he said. “They’re doing things in secret, and we’re afraid of what’s coming.”
“There is chaos everywhere, in the city, in homes, in the streets and within the police forces, too,” he said. “The officers I know believe the regime is collapsing.”
