Iranian Doctors, Witnesses Describe Heavy Casualties After Protests

"Iranian authorities have plunged the country into what witnesses describe as a near-total digital blackout in response to deadly nationwide protests against the Islamic republic, sharply limiting the flow of information from inside the country. With internet access severely restricted, only fragmented accounts have reached the outside world through brief one-way phone calls, individuals with satellite internet access, and Iranians who have recently left the country."

"The protests erupted in late December 2025 amid mounting public anger over economic hardship, soaring inflation, and the sharp depreciation of the Iranian rial. Initial demonstrations over living costs and economic mismanagement quickly spread to multiple cities and evolved into broader antiestablishment protests, prompting a deadly security response. Human rights organizations say several thousand people have been killed or injured during the unrest, though independent verification remains impossible due to the blackout."

"Eyewitnesses and medical professionals speaking to RFE/RL's Radio Farda describe hospitals overwhelmed by patients suffering from severe gunshot wounds, particularly to the head, eyes, chest, and abdomen. One protester from the northeastern city of Mashhad who recently fled Iran said he witnessed security forces violently confronting teenagers during demonstrations. The protester described one teenager suffering severe facial injuries after being struck with batons, while another was shot in the leg and later required amputation."

Iranian authorities have imposed a near-total digital blackout in response to deadly nationwide protests, sharply limiting information flow. Internet access is severely restricted, leaving only fragmented accounts via brief one-way calls, satellite internet users, and Iranians who recently left. Protests began in late December 2025 over economic hardship, soaring inflation, and steep rial depreciation, and spread from demonstrations over living costs to broader antiestablishment unrest across multiple cities. Security forces responded with deadly force. Human rights groups report several thousand killed or injured, though independent verification remains impossible because of the blackout. Hospitals are overwhelmed with patients suffering severe gunshot wounds.

Read at RadioFreeEurope/RadioLiberty