Medical professionals in Iran have reported that the death toll from the recent protests could be as high as 30,000, far surpassing official figures. A network of over 80 doctors across 12 provinces shared observations with the Guardian, describing a systematic state effort to conceal the scale of violence.
One anonymous doctor, identified as Dr Ahmadi, treated wounded protesters at a secret location outside the government hospital system. He noted a shift from pellet gun injuries to close-range gunshots and stab wounds, with more than 40 fatalities in his small town alone. He estimates that officially registered deaths represent less than 10% of the real number.
The Iranian government has acknowledged over 3,000 deaths, while HRANA has verified more than 6,000 and is investigating a further 17,000. Testimony from morgue and graveyard staff reveals bodies transported in ice-cream vans, mass burials, and hundreds of corpses disappearing from forensic facilities.
Doctors described the violence as 'brutality without limit', with one Tehran-based medic saying, 'I am on the verge of a psychological collapse. They’ve mass murdered people.' The internet blackout has hampered accurate counting, but the true toll may be far higher than any official estimate.
