Escalation of Violence in Iran Protests
Doctors in Iran are reporting a troubling increase in the use of live ammunition against protesters, which has led to a rise in casualties. One doctor, who recently fled the country, shared this alarming information with the Center for Human Rights in Iran (CHRI). He indicated that after protests began on December 28, the situation worsened, with the toll of fatalities climbing significantly due to this shift in tactics.
“Initially, we were responding to calls about pellet injuries—five or six each day,” the doctor recounted. “But then the nature of the injuries changed. We started hearing about people being shot with live rounds.” This transition, noted by many, seemed particularly pronounced on January 8 when the government imposed an internet blackout, halting communication across the nation.
Things escalated dramatically, as he mentioned, “From about 8:10 to 8:20 p.m., we heard gunfire, screams, and explosions. The injuries we were seeing changed drastically.” The doctor described how the injuries went from being more superficial to fatal wounds from close-range gunfire.
Reports from various human rights organizations suggest that thousands may have died during the crackdown, with estimates exceeding 3,000. The protests originally sparked by economic grievances transformed into broader anti-government demonstrations.
The doctor explained further how, in Isfahan, heavy weapons were deployed, with the streets stained in blood. “I saw blood accumulate in the gutters—about a liter—stretching for several meters,” he said. This violence seemed to intensify, especially after January 9, as security forces responded aggressively.
Witnessing the situation firsthand, he stated, “Calls to my phone changed; they were no longer about pellet wounds, but people telling me they were shot through and through.” The range of victims spanned all ages, and some were so severely injured that they were nearly unrecognizable.
“One colleague told me that eight bodies with facial gunshot wounds were brought in during a night shift,” he reported, highlighting the grim reality faced by many medical professionals amid this chaos. The tension has only deepened as President Trump expressed solidarity with the Iranian protesters, proposing to halt all meetings with Iranian officials while demanding an end to the government crackdown.
