CBS: At least 12,000 killed in Iran protest crackdown

Information emerging from Iran on January 13 suggests that the authorities’ crackdown on nationwide anti-government protests may have resulted in at least 12,000 deaths, far exceeding previously reported figures.

Multiple sources, including one inside Iran, told CBS News that activist groups compiling data from hospitals and medical officials across the country believe the death toll has reached a minimum of 12,000, with some estimates placing the figure even higher. The claims have not been independently verified, but sources say the real number is likely underreported due to severe communication restrictions imposed by the authorities.

Britain’s Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper told Parliament on January 13 that the UK government believed around 2,000 people had been killed, while warning that the final number could be “significantly higher.” Iranian officials, meanwhile, have offered no comprehensive casualty figures, with state media attributing the unrest to foreign-backed “terrorists.”

The true scale of the violence has been difficult to assess after Iran imposed a near-total internet and telecommunications blackout, now in its fifth day. Although limited outbound phone calls became possible on January 13, incoming calls from outside the country remain blocked.

A source inside Iran told CBS News that security forces have been pressuring private hospitals in Tehran to hand over the identities of people treated for protest-related injuries, raising fears of further repression.

Opposition outlets, including Iran International, reported that their information also points to approximately 12,000 people killed during the crackdown. A Washington-based source with contacts inside Iran described estimates ranging between 10,000 and 12,000 as credible.

The protests erupted in late December over rising living costs and economic hardship and quickly spread to all 31 provinces, evolving into calls for the removal of Iran’s Islamic leadership.

US President Donald Trump said on January 13 that no accurate death toll had yet been established but warned that continued violence against protesters could trigger a response. He said his administration was reviewing a range of options, without specifying possible measures.

Human rights organisations described the crackdown as unprecedented. Mahmood Amiry-Moghaddam, head of the Norway-based Iran Human Rights group, said the scale of violence appears far worse than initially believed and urged the international community to help Iranians maintain access to communications rather than pursue military intervention.

Iranian authorities continue to deny responsibility for mass killings, insisting the protests were directed from abroad—claims rejected by opposition figures, who say public anger against the ruling system is widespread and deeply entrenched.

By Vugar Khalilov