Tipsheet

Iran Death Toll Tops 12,000 As Security Forces Begin to Slaughter Non-Protesting Civilians

Dmitri Bolt
Dmitri Bolt  |  January 13, 2026 12:15 PM

Iranian security forces have begun killing civilians not even involved in the country’s mass protests, according to witness accounts, as the country's officially reported death toll surpassed 2,000 on Tuesday.

However, even that number has been eclipsed, according to the Editorial Board of Iran International, which says the death toll has risen to over 12,000, with the vast majority of those taking place last Thursday and Friday.

According to the Editorial Board of Iran International, at least 12,000 people have been killed so far by security forces in ongoing anti-government demonstrations in Iran, calling it the “largest massacre in contemporary Iranian history,” occurring primarily over two consecutive nights, last Thursday and Friday, January 8 and 9. 

Iran International stated that the statistics are based on information received from one source close to the Supreme National Security Council, two sources in the Office of the President, accounts received from several sources in the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps in the cities of Mashhad, Kermanshah, and Isfahan, eyewitness accounts and families of the deceased, field reports, data related to medical centers, and information obtained by doctors and nurses in various cities across Iran.

Accounts began emerging late on Monday, after citizens were finally able to make international calls. The country had cracked down on most major forms of communication, including the internet and most international traffic, but then selectively restored and allowed limited channels of communication. Several Iranians were able to contact the foreign press.

According to a witness, Iranian security forces on motorcycles were seen opening fire on protesters in the city of Fardis, just outside the capital city of Tehran. Others have reportedly been operating from unmarked vehicles, patrolling alleys and murdering local residents, including people not involved in the protests.

One woman told the press that the worst of the slaughter occurred on Friday in Tehran.

“Security forces only killed and killed and killed. Seeing it with my own eyes made me so unwell that I completely lost morale. Friday was a bloody day,” she said. “In war, both sides have weapons. Here, people only chant and get killed. It is a one-sided war.”

President Trump took to Truth Social to urge Iranians to continue protesting, assuring them that "help is on its way."

Iranian Patriots, KEEP PROTESTING - TAKE OVER YOUR INSTITUTIONS!!! Save the names of the killers and abusers. They will pay a big price. I have cancelled all meetings with Iranian Officials until the senseless killing of protesters STOPS. HELP IS ON ITS WAY. MIGA!!! PRESIDENT DONALD J. TRUMP