Iranian opposition- linked website Iran International claimed that at least 12,000 people were killed by Iranian security forces during a recent crackdown on nationwide anti-regime protests, describing
it as “the largest killing in Iran’s modern history.”
The figure is dramatically higher than the most widely reported estimates so far, which have put the confirmed death toll at several hundred, according to human rights groups and media reports.
Iran International reported that the killings were largely carried out by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) and Basij forces, primarily over the nights of January 8 and 9. The outlet said the violence was organized and systematic, rather than the result of “sporadic” or “unplanned” clashes.
Iran International claimed the operation was conducted on the direct orders of Ali Khamenei, with the knowledge and approval of senior officials across Iran’s political system. It said an order permitting the use of live ammunition was issued by the Supreme National Security Council.
According to the outlet, the estimate of at least 12,000 deaths reflects figures held internally by Iran’s own security institutions. It said the information was compiled and cross-checked using multiple sources, including individuals close to the Supreme National Security Council and the presidential office, as well as sources within the IRGC, eyewitness testimony, medical officials and data from hospitals and clinics across several cities.
“This data was examined and verified through multiple stages and in accordance with strict professional standards before being announced,” Iran International said. It added that a significant number of those killed were under the age of 30.
The outlet said it delayed publication while verifying information amid what it described as a coordinated nationwide blackout. Internet disruptions, media shutdowns, intimidation of journalists and restrictions on communications were aimed not only at maintaining security control, it said, but at preventing the scale of the killings from becoming public.
“In a country where authorities deliberately restrict access to information, producing an accurate assessment is time-consuming,” the report said, adding that publishing incomplete casualty figures risked distorting the true scale of events.
Iran International said that by Sunday, the volume of evidence and convergence of accounts had reached a point where a more reliable estimate was possible. Its editorial board said it reviewed information through a multi-stage process involving sources in the cities of Mashhad, Kermanshah and Isfahan, as well as testimonies from families of victims and healthcare workers.
The outlet concluded that the killings were unprecedented in Iran’s contemporary history in terms of geographic scope, intensity of violence and the number of deaths over a short period of time. Most victims, it said, were shot by IRGC and Basij forces during coordinated operations.
It acknowledged that confirming a final casualty figure would require further documentation, particularly under ongoing communications restrictions. Past protests in Iran, the report noted, have seen authorities withhold or revise official death tolls.
Iran International said it would continue refining its estimates by collecting documentation and verifying additional evidence and called on Iranians inside and outside the country to submit videos, photographs, testimonies, medical records and other verifiable information related to the protests.
It said verified findings would be shared with relevant international bodies.
“The Islamic Republic cannot conceal this crime by cutting the people of Iran off from the world,” the outlet said, adding, “The truth will be recorded and the names of those killed will not be buried in silence.”
