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Leaked Tallies Claim 30,000–36,500 Killed in Iran’s Jan. 8–9 Crackdown

A nationwide internet shutdown hinders verification, leaving far lower official tallies compared with the leaks.

Overview

  • Time, citing two Health Ministry officials, reports roughly 30,000 deaths over 48 hours, with a hospital-based tally of 30,304 and accounts of exhausted body-bag supplies and semitrailers used to move bodies.
  • Iran International says classified records indicate more than 36,500 killed as IRGC and Basij forces used live fire across 400-plus cities, with orders described as shoot to kill.
  • HRANA confirms 5,848 deaths with 17,091 additional cases under review and reports 41,283 arrests, while NetBlocks says the shutdown is obscuring the scale of the crackdown.
  • Iranian authorities maintain an official toll of 3,117 and dismiss the higher counts, with a foreign ministry spokesman labeling Time’s report a “big lie.”
  • The new estimates intensify external pressure, with the UN extending its Iran fact-finding mission, U.S. forces repositioning in the region, and Tehran warning of a broad response to any attack.