OAN Staff Katherine Mosack
8:50 AM – Wednesday, January 14, 2026
At least 12,000 people have been killed by the Iranian regime during nationwide unrest and anti-government protests, marking “the largest killing in the country’s contemporary history,” according to Iran International.
The figures published on Tuesday by the UK-based outlet far exceed the reported numbers so far. An Iranian official told Reuters on Tuesday that around 2,000 people were killed during protests, blaming “terrorists,” though this seems to be an underestimation.
“This data was examined and verified through multiple stages and in accordance with strict professional standards before being announced,” said the outlet.
Iran International states that it cross-referenced information obtained from a source from the Supreme National Security Council and two sources from the presidential office, accounts from the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, testimonies from families of those killed, and information provided by medical personnel in various cities to reach its conclusion
On Tuesday, British Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper said in Parliament that the UK government feared there “may have been 2,000 people killed, there may have been more. My fear is that the number may prove to be significantly higher.”
Likewise, Iran Human Rights (IHR), a Norway-based organization, which reported over 50 deaths last week, said it confirmed 648 people killed during the protests, including nine minors, but warned the death toll was likely much higher, even “more than 6,000.”
Graphic video released on social media and verified by CBS News showed piles of at least 366 bodies at Kahrizak Forensic Medical Center, a morgue in a Tehran suburb, though it was “likely more than 400 people killed amid the protest,” the outlet suggested. In the video, forensic personnel appear to try to identify the dead and document the injuries, including gunshot wounds, “birdshot” shotgun wounds, gashes and several other severe traumas.
Iran has cracked down on the demonstrations throughout the country with physical force in addition to cutting off internet access and phone service for six days to suppress organization and reporting, making it difficult to estimate the number of casualties. Some Iranians have managed to make some calls out of the country, though it’s not possible to call in from abroad.
IHR’s Mahmood Amiry-Moghaddam has urged Western nations to “provide Iranians with more means to communicate with the world, because this is what the regimes do — they shut off the internet. Basically, it’s like solitary confinement. They put Iranian people into solitary confinement and start torturing and killing them.”
“We have a mechanism called responsibility to protect civilians against grave human rights violations, against mass killings … so not only [the] United States, not only President Trump, but the European Union, basically all countries have a responsibility to stop these atrocities,” he said.
Protests began in late December due to the economic hardships faced by Iranians, including rising living costs. Tens of thousands of people across all of Iran’s 31 provinces have participated in chanting for the downfall of the country’s Islamic regime.
President Donald Trump has warned the Iranian government to end the “senseless killing.” On Tuesday, he announced that he canceled all further meetings with Iranian leadership, confirming that “help is on the way” for its citizens. He also said a 25% tariff would be levied against any country trading with Iran.
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