A harrowing new medical report has emerged from the ongoing uprising in Iran, painting a significantly more dire picture of the humanitarian crisis than previously acknowledged.
Published on January 18, 2026, the report—based on data from doctors on the front lines—claims that the death toll has reached a staggering 16,500, with medical professionals describing the state’s response as a “genocide under digital darkness.”
The Toll of the Crackdown
While international rights groups like HRANA have verified approximately 3,090 deaths, this new report, obtained by The Sunday Times, suggests the actual scale is nearly five times higher.
| Category | Estimated Figures (Jan 2026) |
| Confirmed Fatalities | 16,500 – 18,000 |
| Estimated Injuries | 330,000 – 360,000 |
| Eye Injuries | 7,000 (at Tehran’s Noor Clinic alone) |
| Arrests | 22,000+ |
Professor Amir Parasta, an Iranian-German surgeon, noted that authorities are using military-grade weaponry. Most victims are under the age of 30, with a high frequency of gunshot wounds to the head, neck, and chest.
State Admission & Foreign Accusations
In a rare move, Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei acknowledged for the first time on Saturday that “several thousand” had died. However, he framed the uprising as a foreign-led “revolt”:
- The “Seditious” US: Khamenei blamed the US for military and verbal support of protesters.
- Trump Labeled “Criminal”: He specifically targeted US President Donald Trump, calling him a criminal and labeling protesters as “foot soldiers” of the West.3
The Starlink Lifeline
The details of this report reached the outside world primarily through Elon Musk’s Starlink.
- Breaking the Blackout: With Iran under a near-total internet blackout for weeks, SpaceX recently made the service free for Iranians to circumvent state jammers and spoofing.
- Medical Risks: Doctors reported that security forces have, in some instances, blocked blood transfusions for wounded protesters, forcing medical staff to donate their own blood in secret.