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13 Jan 2026, 09:11

Iran International:
Iran has plunged into an organized silence. The aim of this silence is not just "security control," but the concealment of the truth. The widespread internet shutdown, paralysis of communications, unprecedented closure of media outlets, and intimidation of journalists and witnesses all mean one thing: preventing the observation, documentation, and follow-up of a massive and historic crime.

In recent days, Iran International has made every effort to conduct a professional verification to arrive at a more accurate assessment of the dimensions of the severe repression and ruthless killings of people during the recent protests, following the receipt of some scattered but shocking and disturbing reports.

In a country where the government deliberately blocks access to information, reaching this assessment is a difficult and time-consuming task; especially since hastily announcing incomplete casualty figures could lead to errors in documenting reality and distorting the dimensions of this great tragedy.

Since Sunday, the volume of evidence and overlapping narratives has reached a point where a relatively clear picture can be obtained.

In the past two days, the editorial board of Iran International has meticulously reviewed the information received from a source close to the Supreme National Security Council, two sources in the presidential office, narratives from several sources in the Revolutionary Guards in the cities of Mashhad, Kermanshah, and Isfahan, eyewitness accounts and families of the deceased, field reports, data related to medical centers, and information provided by doctors and nurses in various cities, in a precise, multi-stage manner and based on professional standards.

By summarizing these reviews, we have concluded that:

🔻In the largest massacre in contemporary Iranian history, primarily over two consecutive nights, Thursday and Friday, January 18 and 19, at least 12,000 people have been killed.

🔻This massacre is unprecedented in Iran's history in terms of geographical scope, intensity of violence, and the number of casualties in a short time frame.

🔻Based on information received by Iran International, these citizens were primarily killed by the forces of the Revolutionary Guards and the Basij.

🔻This massacre was completely organized; it was not the result of "scattered clashes" and "unplanned."

🔻Information received by Iran International from the Supreme National Security Council and the presidential office indicates that this massacre was carried out under the orders of Ali Khamenei, with the knowledge and explicit approval of the heads of the three branches of government and the issuance of direct shooting orders by the Supreme National Security Council. Many of the deceased were young people under 30 years old.

🔻Estimation of the number of casualties
Based on available data and the alignment of information obtained from reliable sources, including the Supreme National Security Council and the presidential office, the initial estimate by the security institutions of the Islamic Republic is that at least 12,000 people have been killed in this nationwide massacre.

It is evident that under conditions of communication blockage and lack of direct access to information, reaching a final casualty figure requires more precise documentation.

Recent years' experience shows that security institutions have always refrained from recording and announcing accurate casualty figures through secrecy.
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iranintl
In messages, they ask if it's true?
I really don't know. A media outlet has just announced a figure. Other media and human rights organizations haven't said anything yet because estimating and determining is difficult. I'm just one person and I don't have a team or confidential and non-public information, but based on public reports, I can say it's completely believable to me.
But the problem with news suppression is that even one zero more or less is believable!
Vahid

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