Grieving relatives searching for loved ones among bodies piled outside the Tehran Provincial Forensic Diagnostic and Laboratory Center in Ka...
Grieving relatives searching for loved ones among bodies piled outside the Tehran Provincial Forensic Diagnostic and Laboratory Center in Kahrizak, Iran
Bodies moved in giant trailers; Khamenei moves to bunker fearing Trump; Third son takes over administration.
N. Prabhakaran
Dubai: Quoting two senior Health Ministry officials and hospital data, Time Magazine reported that approximately 30,000 people may have been killed in a violent crackdown across Iran on January 8 and 9.
Although these figures have not been officially confirmed, they are significantly higher than the numbers released by Iranian authorities. If these figures are accurate, it suggests a massacre far larger than previously imagined. Following the incident, Iran International had reported approximately 12,000 deaths.
Officials stated that due to the overwhelming number of casualties, body bags ran out, and bodies were transported using large 18-wheeler trailers. Security forces carried out the shootings using snipers positioned on rooftops and trucks mounted with machine guns after disconnecting internet services. An Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) official warned on state television that those who took to the streets should not complain if they were shot.
Amir Parasta, a German-Iranian doctor who compiled the data, said that according to hospital records, 30,304 deaths were recorded as of Friday, January 9. He added that the actual number could be higher as this data does not include military hospitals or remote inland areas.
Experts have compared this scale of killing in such a short period to the 1941 Babi Yar massacre in Ukraine, where Nazis shot 33,000 Jews. Reports indicate that security forces even fired upon the injured receiving treatment in hospitals. Many victims were shot in the head. Although the internet blackout delayed information, images of bodies are circulating via satellite connections. The UN Human Rights Council has announced an independent investigation into the violence. According to Israeli officials, January 8 was the bloodiest night in Iranian history.
Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, has moved to a high-security underground bunker in Tehran
Leadership Shift and US Tensions
Meanwhile, Iran International reported that Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, has moved to a high-security underground bunker in Tehran following warnings from senior security and military officials regarding a potential American attack.
According to the report, Khamenei’s daily responsibilities have been taken over by his third son, Mojtaba Khamenei (referred to in the text as Masoud). He is now the primary liaison between various government departments. Ali Khamenei stepping back from direct governance and his son taking control signals a major shift within the Iranian regime, fueled by concerns over Khamenei’s health and safety.
On Friday, US President Donald Trump stated that American warships are moving toward the sea lanes near Iran. "A lot of ships are heading to Iran, but I hope we don't have to use them," Trump said. Iran has officially declared that any attack against them will be treated as a "full-scale war."
The Iranian National Security Parliamentary Commission reported that any attack on Khamenei would trigger a declaration of "Jihad." President Masoud Pezeshkian also stated that targeting Khamenei is an act of war against the nation of Iran.
While Trump hinted last week that violence against protesters in Iran was decreasing, new reports suggest that violent crackdowns continue despite the internet blackout. In protest of the suppression of demonstrators, the US Treasury Department imposed new sanctions on Iran on Friday.
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