Four days have passed since the complete internet shutdown in Iran, and the horrifying images that have gradually emerged from the country suggest that hundreds of bodies are piled on top of one another.
On Saturday, some individuals who managed to contact relatives inside Iran quoted medical staff in Tehran as saying that hundreds were assumed dead in the capital alone, with some estimating the nationwide death toll at more than 2,000.
Although communication with people inside Iran is extremely difficult, on Monday morning I managed to speak via a relatively secure messaging application with one individual actively participating in the protests in West Tehran. He said he witnessed gunfire on Sattarkhan Street, where, in one instance, IRGC forces and plainclothes agents opened fire on protesters with bursts of machine-gun fire. Another eyewitness in Karaj reported that, in addition to severe beatings by police, IRGC forces, Basij members, and plainclothes agents, protesters were shot at with handguns and machine guns with the intent to kill and to instill fear. According to this witness, parts of Karaj and its surrounding townships were turned into a battlefield on Saturday night.
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Anahita, an eyewitness to the massacre of protesters in Karaj who left the country on Monday morning. This image has been altered
(Photo: Social Media)
Anahita (a pseudonym), 37, an employee of a private company in Karaj, reached Iran’s northern borders and left the country on Monday morning after a 24-hour journey in a car with her sister and a friend. All three had been injured. She contacted me and explained that, out of fear of border inspections, she did not bring her primary mobile phone and is now communicating using a new device containing no photos, videos, or personal information. She is currently undergoing medical treatment.
Anahita said she was struck with batons on her shoulder and hand. Her younger sister was injured in the leg while fleeing a police attack, and her friend—who had been with her at the protest—was beaten in the chest and hand.
She explained that they decided to leave the country at their parents’ insistence after they feared they might have been identified by security forces. Despite their anger, fear, and anxiety, they were forced to pass through border inspections and exit procedures while maintaining a normal appearance as they waited in a long line of vehicles.
According to Anahita, on Saturday evening, following a call by regime opponents, she and her friend went to Pakdel Street, where thousands of people were marching toward Shahrdari Boulevard and chanting slogans against the regime, particularly against Khamenei.
Near the intersection, IRGC forces, riot police, Basij members, and several plainclothes agents attacked them. At the same time, protests and clashes were continuing in nearly all neighborhoods of Karaj and its surrounding townships. Security forces first used tear gas to disperse the crowd and then fired pellet shotguns at protesters’ heads—something that had also occurred on previous days. Protesters took refuge in side streets and lit fires to protect themselves, but suddenly heavy gunfire erupted, including fire from rifles, bursts from machine guns producing a deafening sound, and single shots fired from the handguns of plainclothes agents. Several people collapsed instantly.
Anahita said that at that moment, due to her proximity to the agents, she believed she would certainly be shot and killed. She tightly held her friend’s hand and tried to flee the gunfire, attempting to escape into one of the alleys, either to get away from the area or to seek shelter in a nearby home.
At that same moment, several riot police officers on motorcycles arrived from the opposite direction and attacked them with batons. She did not see her friend again. After being struck several times on the head and back, she lost consciousness. When she regained consciousness, she heard the screams and groans of wounded people lying on the street. She then felt people dragging her along the ground. As gunfire and clashes continued, she lost consciousness again.
Later, she recalled seeing a young man standing over her with blood-soaked clothes, telling her, “It’s nothing, you weren’t shot.” In that state, she eventually reached home and found her friend about an hour later, who had also been attacked by security agents. Hours then passed in fear and anxiety until her younger sister finally returned home. When her sister arrived, covered in dust, they all screamed both in terror and relief, having feared she had been killed, injured, or arrested.
Protests in Isfahan
That same night, after hours of argument, Anahita’s parents persuaded her to leave the country temporarily. She agreed only after her friend warned her that they might have been identified by the security agents. A Video published on social media Shows Protesters being killed by security officers in Karaj
Early Sunday morning, after the gunfire subsided and after changing their bandages, they set off toward Iran’s northern borders and eventually crossed the border on Monday morning. They were unable to inform their family of their safety, as even landline calls within Iran are only possible during limited hours, and mobile communication is almost entirely unavailable.
Karaj has witnessed major protests in recent days, with widespread clashes resulting in the deaths of many people. As the largest city near Tehran, Karaj has been a major centre of anti-regime protests all the time. In recent days, numerous government buildings, including the municipality and a police station, were set on fire during clashes between protesters and security forces.
On Friday, a video circulated on social media showing large numbers of wounded and dead following gunfire by security agents and military forces in Fardis, Karaj.
Parsa (a pseudonym), a manager of a technical company in Tehran, told me that he briefly managed to get online around midnight using a VPN. He said he witnessed IRGC gunfire on Sattarkhan Street in West Tehran on Friday night. This occurred shortly after a speech by Ali Khamenei, the leader of the Islamic Republic, in which he called for a crackdown on “rioters.” According to Parsa, dozens were killed or wounded in the very first moments.
He said that after the shooting began, he took refuge on the roof of a nearby building. Despite the darkness, he heard single shots resembling sniper fire, often accompanied by a green laser aimed at the target. He also observed a large number of drones, apparently used to identify protest gatherings and assist in their suppression.
In recent days, the Islamic Republic has used drones for the first time to identify protest gathering points. Some sources claim that certain models may also be capable of firing weapons. What is clear is that the regime has deployed nearly all of its available combat resources to suppress its opponents; the only weapon remaining is to deploy tanks in the streets.
Large gatherings have taken place in West Tehran in recent days, particularly in Sattarkhan and Punak, alarming the authorities. By attacking these gatherings, especially small groups that broke away from the main crowd or were returning home, the regime has sought to spread fear and terror to discourage people from continuing the protests. In response, public anger has intensified, with protesters attacking and setting fire to mosques and government and state institutions.
On Monday, while the Islamic Republic’s Foreign Ministry invited foreign ambassadors and screened a video in an attempt to blame “unknown armed groups” or Mossad agents for the deaths of hundreds, possibly thousands, over the past fifteen days, a video published by Vahid Online said to have been sent out of the country via Starlink showed a warehouse in Kahrizak filled with corpses. In some cases, families have reportedly been forced to pay so-called “bullet money” in order to retrieve the bodies of their loved ones. A Video shows hundreds of Protesters Bodies in Kahrizak near Tehran Originally Posted by Vahid Online
Human rights organisations have warned that the government has committed yet another crime by massacring its opponents in the streets.
The killing of large numbers of protesters has further fueled public anger and may intensify the clashes. State media have already reported the killing or wounding of dozens of regime agents, including senior members of the IRGC and police.
Even if the Islamic Republic succeeds in temporarily preventing its collapse through mass killings in Tehran, clashes continue in other parts of Iran, including Khuzestan, where protests intensified on Monday night. Khamenei’s Regime now appears to be facing a crisis so severe that it fears the disintegration of its own repressive forces.