The anti-government protests gripping Iran have taken a devastating turn, with hospitals across the country struggling under the weight of mass casualties. Doctors and nurses risking everything to speak out have painted a grim picture: emergency rooms packed with young people shot in the head and chest, morgues overflowing, bodies stacked on top of each other, and no time even for life-saving CPR in some cases.
One Tehran hospital worker shared heartbreaking details of the chaos — around 38 people died right there, many from direct gunshot wounds to the head or heart. “They were so young, 20-25 years old… we couldn’t even look at many of them,” she said. When the morgue filled up, the dead were moved to the prayer room, piled high.
In Rasht, at Poursina Hospital, BBC Persian verified that 70 bodies arrived one night alone — the morgue couldn’t handle it, so authorities took them away, demanding huge sums (around £5,200 or $7,000) from families just to release them for burial.
Tehran’s main eye hospital went into full crisis mode, suspending all non-emergency work to handle a flood of pellet and gunshot injuries, many to the face and eyes. Security forces have been using shotguns loaded with pellets, leaving protesters blinded or worse.
Here are some of the intense scenes from the streets where these injuries are happening — massive crowds facing off against security forces:
Eyewitness accounts from medics describe one protester shot through the eye, the bullet exiting the back of the head — he was thrown into a medical center too late to save. In Shiraz and Kashan, hospitals reported being swamped with similar cases, surgeons overwhelmed.
The violence has escalated dramatically: videos show protesters setting fire to government buildings, like this one in Karaj burning brightly as unrest spreads:
Iran Government Building Burns In Karaj
And graphic evidence of the toll — protesters hit by pellets and bullets, many suffering severe eye injuries:
Iran protests: Victims shot in eyes hold on to hopes
Human rights groups report at least 51 protesters killed (including children), plus 21 security personnel, with over 2,300 arrests. The regime denies deaths in Tehran on certain nights but admits widespread damage to buildings. The army has now joined security forces to “protect public property,” and threats of harsh punishment continue.
Amid the blackout and repression, exiled Crown Prince Reza Pahlavi is urging Iranians to push harder: “Our goal is to prepare to seize and hold city centres.” He’s called the protests magnificent and hinted at returning home.
The U.S. under President Trump has doubled down on warnings — any killing of protesters will bring a strong military response (though no ground troops). European leaders have condemned the crackdown, and the UN expressed deep concern over the loss of life.
As one former diplomat noted, this feels broader than past uprisings — fueled by impossible economic pain — but organized opposition inside Iran remains thin.
For now, the streets and hospitals tell a story of rage, hope, and unimaginable suffering as Iranians continue to demand change.