12,000 Killed in ‘Largest Massacre’ of Contemporary Iran

12,000 Killed in ‘Largest Massacre’ of Contemporary Iran

The Editorial Board of Iran International says at least 12,000 people have been killed by security forces during ongoing anti-government protests in Iran, calling the bloodshed “the largest massacre in Iran’s contemporary history,” with most fatalities allegedly occurring over two nights, January 8 and 9.

In a detailed statement, Iran International’s editorial board concluded that security forces, primarily units of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps and the Basij, carried out a coordinated and organized killing over two consecutive nights, Thursday and Friday, January 8 and 9.

The outlet describes the operation as unprecedented in scale, citing a nationwide communications blackout, media shutdowns, and systematic intimidation of witnesses as part of an effort to conceal the extent of the violence.

According to Iran International, its estimate of at least 12,000 deaths is based on information from a source close to the Supreme National Security Council, two sources in the presidential office, contacts within the Revolutionary Guard in Mashhad, Kermanshah, and Isfahan, as well as eyewitnesses, families of victims, field reports, and medical data from doctors, nurses, and hospitals across Iran.

The editorial board says the figures were vetted through a multi-stage review process and alleges that the killings were carried out on the direct order of Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, with the knowledge and approval of the heads of all three branches of government and a live-fire directive issued by the Supreme National Security Council.

Other reported death tolls are significantly lower, with one Iranian official anonymously acknowledging around 2,000 deaths amid the unrest and various human rights groups previously speaking of hundreds killed, underscoring the difficulty of independently verifying casualty figures under conditions of censorship and blackout.

Iran’s authorities have not confirmed the 12,000 figure, but the allegations have prompted growing international concern and calls for investigations into possible crimes against humanity during the crackdown.