Over 12,000 feared dead after Iran protests

[Twiglets1]

Report by CBS News:

Information trickling out of Iran on Tuesday suggests that a crackdown by authorities to end more than two weeks of widespread anti-government protests has likely been far more deadly than activists outside the country have reported. With phone lines opening back up for calls from inside the Islamic Republic, two sources, including one inside Iran, told CBS News on Tuesday that at least 12,000, and possibly as many as 20,000 people have been killed.

Britain's Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper said in Parliament on Tuesday that the U.K. government believed there "may have been 2,000 people killed, there have been more. My fear is that the number may prove to be significantly higher."

The truth has been incredibly difficult to piece together due to Iran's hardline rulers cutting off internet access and phone service in the country for the last five days. While a complete internet shutdown in Iran remained in place for a fifth day, some Iranians were able to make phone calls out of the country on Tuesday, though it was still not possible to call into Iran from outside.

A source inside Iran who was able to call out told CBS News on Tuesday that activist groups working to compile a full death toll from the protests, based on reports from medical officials across the country, believed the toll was at least 12,000, and possibly as high as 20,000.

CBS News has not been able to independently verify the massive death toll indicated by the source, which is some many times larger than the numbers reported by most activist groups independently in recent days — though those groups have always made it clear that their tallies are likely underestimated.

The opposition Iran International television network said Tuesday that its information suggested about 12,000 people were killed. A source in Washington with contacts in Iran told CBS News on Tuesday that a credible source had told him the toll was likely between 10,000 and 12,000.

www.cbsnews.com/news/iran-protest-death-toll-over-12000-feared-higher-video-bodies-at-morgue/

I've always supported the BBC but this is beyond belief. We are talking potentially about one of the most intense massacres in modern history. Even if figures arent true there is a major story just in the question of how to manage reporting in a climate where its hard to get verifiable information.

Went on BBC Middle East and the latest article on Iran seems to be from two days ago. A BBC verify piece from five days ago talks about “hundreds” killed during the protests.
I’ve been listening to Tousi TV for updates, the stark contrast in reporting between outlets like that and BBC when it comes to Iran is absolutely staggering.

Exactly ... the story isn't verified but they could still report it as Time have done.

They didn't mind reporting things from Gaza that weren't verified so that can't be the reason.

The BBC and other news stations have actually been criticised because they don’t report on Gaza enough.

That's nonsense and the people saying that presumably wouldn't be happy until the BBC merged with Al Jazeera.

https://time.com/7357635/more-than-30000-killed-in-iran-say-senior-officials/

"As many as 30,000 people could have been killed in the streets of Iran on Jan. 8 and 9 alone, two senior officials of the country’s Ministry of Health told TIME—indicating a dramatic surge in the death toll. So many people were slaughtered by Iranian security services on that Thursday and Friday, it overwhelmed the state’s capacity to dispose of the dead. Stocks of body bags were exhausted, the officials said, and eighteen-wheel semi-trailers replaced ambulances."

Huge number of people believed slaughtered and yet very little coverage.

When will Trumps armada arrive?

Not by anyone sensible they haven't.

https://apnews.com/article/iran-protests-deaths-crackdown-aeaeb26493d25d86d5169f8ae455e405

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cly5zmm186no - Russia are moving from Syria, but would like to maintain a presence. Iran has been useful to them but can they spread themselves thin to support the mullahs when they are so deep in Ukraine.

Regarding the number of deaths, The US-based Human Rights Activists News Agency (HRANA) says it has confirmed the killing of more than 6,301 people, including 5,925 protesters, since the unrest began at the end of December.

HRANA says it is also investigating another 17,000 reported deaths received despite an internet shutdown after nearly three weeks.

Another group, the Norway-based Iran Human Rights (IHR), has warned that the final toll could exceed 25,000.

Finally the BBC are making a big deal about it, Trump warns Iran 'time is running out' for nuclear deal as US military builds up in Gulf

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cly5pd459gko

https://www.theguardian.com/global-development/2026/jan/29/iran-doctors-arrested-treating-injured-protesters

some further media reporting, but I completely agree @Twiglets1 there is a startling lack of interest.

you started a really important thread and it’s only reached page 4 in terms of posts. Not to anyway underplay some of the things going in with ICE in the USA but a thread on that would have, and has had, people falling over themselves to have a say - no criticism for them doing so. Yet the horrific situation in Iran - in terms of deaths at least 1,000 times higher - struggles to gain traction. Sad state of affairs.

The European Union has added Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) to its terrorist list in response to Tehran's deadly crackdown on protesters in recent weeks.

"Repression cannot go unanswered," the bloc's top diplomat Kaja Kallas said, adding the move will put the IRGC - a major military, economic and political force in Iran - on the same level as jihadist groups like al-Qaeda and the Islamic State group.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c20gypw8enjo

And now the UK has followed suit.

Government sources said that ministers will introduce a new law banning the group which has been accused of helping massacre thousands of protesters in Iran and also operating a campaign of harassment against dissidents in the UK.

@Twiglets1 not on bbc?

Some are papers reporting a law will be introduced but it won't be fast tracked, so there is no timescale. So it won't have any impact for the time being.

Israeli officials now accept 70,000 people have been killed in Gaza, many might consider thats a very intense massacre too, using bombs or bullets, the end result is the same....

As far as i can see the BBC have covered the Iranian protests and killings, its been reported widely on Radio, World service and has led on various TV news programs.
But with no means to go anywhere Iranian cities, nor work with a regime like the Iranian Govt, its difficult to get a true picture.

Tom Tugenhadt tried to suggest BBC had not reported on this recently and it was easily debunked as political opportunism.

& yes the BBC have reported on the IRGC ban in EU and possibly in UK too, i ve just listened to it....

Not being reported by the BBC news website yet, no.

From The Telegraph:

Labour has not, however, set any timeline for the ban and will only introduce the new law “when parliamentary time allows,” said a Government source.

It means that Sir Keir Starmer is likely to come under pressure to fast-track legislation as Donald Trump has ratcheted up pressure on Iran after moving his “armada” of battleships to the region.

On Thursday night Lord Blunkett, a former Labour home secretary, became the most senior party grandee to call for a ban.

“I am totally in favour of proscribing the Iranian Revolutionary Guard and, for that matter, the Muslim Brotherhood,” he told The Telegraph.

“I hope very much that in the spirit of the way in which the new Home Secretary has tackled other issues, she will be prepared to act on both of these.”

Priti Patel, the shadow foreign secretary, also supported an immediate ban: “The brutality of the Tehran regime is an affront to humanity.

“Thousands slaughtered, many more injured and tortured, and show trials continuing, all while Iran sponsors terrorism and threatens regional security.

“The Labour Government’s silence on the IRGC is appalling. We have said that we would work with them to bring forward the legal and legislative mechanisms for the UK to take action.

“Britain must stand up for the Iranian people and confront this vile regime with strength and resolve.”

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/world-news/2026/01/29/eu-proscribes-islamic-revolutionary-guard-corps/

Can we have ONE thread without a Gaza derailment? Is that possible?

Thats hilarious😂 the OP themselves, just a few posts up talked about GAZA.... as have numerous pp throughout the thread..... maybe you missed all of that? or don't like the truth....

Radio 4 and the World Service have, in their 5am and 6am news programs talked about the IRGC ban in EU and a potential one in the UK.

Iran threatened “devastating consequences” should the EU follow through with a ban, but they did it anyway.

Seems like everyone is tired of the Iranian regime's bullshit threats & bullying behaviour.

I wasn't talking about the radio or TV. It was not on the website when I looked.

The war in Gaza lasted 2 years. The massacre in Iran has been over a few weeks with the majority of the deaths happening in 2 days. The deaths were a result of a government murdering its own people as part of a widespread suppression of its own people. Deaths in Gaza were the result of a war started by Hamas. Whatever you may think of the prosecution of the war its an entirely different situation.

Its the BBC's job to get a true picture and its a pathetic excuse to say its hard and give up. No-one's buying that.

Why stall on this?

Ah...

Dons tin foil hat and walks away muttering "gives those who might be hit by this time to sort out their UK based assets, including property"....

ETA that Bloomberg did a big piece on this a few days back but it's behind a paywall

www.bloomberg.com/news/features/2026-01-28/how-iran-supreme-leader-khamenei-s-son-built-a-global-property-empire

Don’t they always threaten with “devastating consequences” and “unleashing hell”?
I’ve heard they’ve now released an AI clip of destroying USS Abraham Lincoln 🙄