Iran Protest Scenes Described as ‘War Zone’ as Doctors Say Security Forces Fire from Rooftops

Iran Protest Scenes Described as ‘War Zone’ as Doctors Say Security Forces Fire from Rooftops

People on the ground in Iran say parts of cities including Tehran, Shiraz and Neyshabur now resemble a war zone, with medical staff describing unprecedented carnage and security forces allegedly shooting both protesters and ordinary passersby from rooftops and terraces.

Eyewitness accounts emerging from Iran paint a grim picture of the ongoing anti-government protests, with residents and medics likening the situation in several cities to a battlefield.

In Tehran and Shiraz, people describe streets filled with the sound of gunfire and sirens as security forces crack down on demonstrators demanding change. Hospitals are reportedly overwhelmed with gunshot victims, including women and bystanders who were not actively taking part in the protests.

One member of the medical staff, heard speaking in a video shared with IranWire, struggles to contain their shock at the scale of the violence. “I have never seen such scenes in my life,” the medic says, describing how a woman was brought in with devastating injuries. “The shameless people shot (her) in the head and neck. Do you have any idea how many patients we have until now?” The comment captures the sense of exhaustion and horror among frontline health workers treating an unrelenting flow of wounded.

A doctor in the northeastern city of Neyshabur reports that security forces have begun firing on protesters from elevated positions rather than from the street.

In an audio message to IranWire, she says forces were “shooting from rooftops and terraces” on Friday, making it far harder for people below to see danger and escape. “They are not on the street where people can see and run away,” she explains, adding that the bullets are not reserved for demonstrators alone.

“They even shoot at ordinary pedestrians,” the doctor says, recounting how a family of six simply passing by came under fire. According to her account, an elderly woman’s nurse was also shot as she was on her way home in Neyshabur. These reports suggest that the violence has spread beyond protest hotspots, with anyone on the streets potentially at risk.

Together, the testimonies from Tehran, Shiraz, Neyshabur and elsewhere underscore the scale of the crisis gripping Iran. For many residents, daily life now carries the constant risk of sudden gunfire, while doctors and nurses confront scenes they say they have never witnessed before.