By Trendsetter Tribune 
More than 33,000 protesters have been killed in Iran since anti-government demonstrations erupted late last year, according to new estimates that more than double earlier figures and underscore the scale of the regime’s violent repression.
The protests, which began on December 28 amid a deepening cost-of-living crisis, were initially believed to have claimed between 16,500 and 18,000 lives. New research now places the death toll at roughly 33,100, with nearly 98,000 people wounded—around 30 percent suffering eye injuries, a sign of targeted force by security units.
German-Iranian surgeon Professor Amir-Mobarez Parasta said executions have become part of the crackdown, citing hospital data showing hundreds put to death, including at least 468 in Tehran alone. Families of slain protesters have reported bodies being withheld unless they sign false statements or pay large sums for burial.
The bloodshed comes as tensions escalate internationally. Iran’s leadership has warned it will treat any foreign strike as “all-out war” while the U.S. increases its military presence in the region. President Donald Trump has warned of “very strong action” if protesters are executed and has threatened new economic penalties on countries doing business with Tehran.
Global criticism has intensified, with Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky accusing world leaders of standing by as protests were “drowned in blood.” Despite international pressure, armed patrols continue across Iranian cities, and rights groups say there are few signs the regime will change course.
As demonstrations fade under force and fear, the growing death toll is emerging as one of the deadliest crackdowns in Iran’s modern history—raising urgent questions about accountability, international response, and the country’s future.