by Stefan J. Bos, Worthy News Chief International Correspondent
LONDON/WASHINGTON/TEHRAN (Worthy News) – Activists and doctors said Tuesday Iran’s bloody crackdown on nationwide protests could be as high as 36,500, far more than at least 6,159 people, reported earlier, as a U.S. aircraft carrier strike group arrived in the Middle East amid rising tensions and warnings of possible further unrest.
Iran’s government has offered a far lower figure, saying about 3,117 people have died, including civilians and members of the security forces, while labeling some of those killed as “terrorists.” Rights monitors say the actual toll may be difficult to verify independently due to restricted access, internet disruptions, and heavy state control over information.
If confirmed, the killing of 36,500 people, including Christians, in just two days, represents a scale of violence without precedent in the history of repression under the Islamic Republic—and one that stands out even when compared with some of the deadliest episodes of state violence and full-scale wars worldwide.
Information obtained and published by the Iran International channel this week indicates that Iranian authorities killed more than 36,500 people over 48 hours during the national uprising on January 8 and 9 this year.
Even conflicts that later came to be described as “genocidal” involved far lower casualty rates over comparable periods.
Put differently, the figure implies 18,250 deaths per day, 760 per hour, 13 per minute, or one person killed every five seconds.
MORE ‘GENOCIDAL’ THANK GAZA
At the height of the war in Gaza, the deadliest single day recorded roughly 400 fatalities. Figures released by Gaza’s Health Ministry, which is under Hamas control, place the total number of people killed in Israeli strikes at around 71,000. Israeli officials say 17,000 to 20,000 Hamas fighters were among the dead, suggesting 51,000 to 54,000 civilian fatalities.
However, “Those deaths occurred over roughly two years following October 7, 2023 – an average of 70 to 74 deaths per day. The single deadliest day, reported on March 18, 2025, saw about 400 fatalities, though the civilian share remains unclear,” noted Iran International, a London-based independent network known for in-depth reporting.
During the most intense phase of urban bombardment in the Iran-Iraq war, Iraqi missile and air strikes killed an average of 188 Iranian civilians per day. The scale of the recent killings far exceeds both, analysts say.
It also surpasses the deadliest crackdowns carried out by authoritarian governments such as Syria under Hafez al-Assad or Iraq under Saddam Hussein.
The initial reported death toll of 6,159
was released by the Human Rights Activists News Agency, which carefully tracks casualties through a network of local sources. The group said those killed include thousands of protesters, along with children and bystanders, and reported that more than 41,800 people have been arrested since demonstrations erupted.
US WARSHIPS IN REGION
The arrival of the USS Abraham Lincoln aircraft carrier and accompanying guided-missile destroyers gives the United States expanded military capability in the region, although Gulf Arab states hosting American forces have signaled reluctance to become directly involved in any potential conflict.
Iran has repeatedly warned it could drag the broader Middle East into war, even as its military remains under pressure following recent confrontations with Israel earlier this year.
The warning came while rights monitors and church groups said some Iranian Christians were killed, injured, or detained in the current protests.
Additionally, Christian converts and underground house churches face severe repression under Iranian law, including imprisonment, as they are treated as “national-security threats” by the Islamic rulers, according to investigators.
Christian advocacy organizations and religious-freedom groups have warned that periods of political upheaval in Iran frequently lead to intensified pressure on minorities, including believers worshipping in informal house church networks.
With tensions rising, Iran’s economy has also shown new signs of distress. The national currency, the rial, fell to a record low of roughly 1.5 million to the U.S. dollar, further squeezing ordinary Iranians as the cost of everyday goods rises sharply.
Analysts say worsening economic conditions could fuel additional protests, even as Tehran continues its crackdown.
Copyright 1999-2026 Worthy News. This article was originally published on Worthy News and was reproduced with permission.
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