Iranian security forces have reportedly escalated their response to ongoing protests, shifting from using pellet guns to deploying live ammunition. This development has significantly increased the number of casualties, according to a doctor who treated injured demonstrators and shared his experiences with the Center for Human Rights in Iran (CHRI).

Having fled Iran to speak freely, the doctor recounted how the situation deteriorated swiftly. Protests initially began on December 28, and within a short period, the use of live fire appeared to have markedly raised the death toll.

“Law enforcement agents were initially using pellet shotguns, which disperse pellets. During that time, I received numerous calls daily about individuals hit by pellets, often in the back or even in the head and scalp,” the doctor explained.

A significant turning point occurred on January 8. The doctor observed a shift in the authorities’ tactics when they imposed internet blackouts and severed communication channels nationwide, effectively isolating citizens.

Recounting the events during the blackout, the doctor said, “Between 8:10 and 8:20 p.m., there was a cacophony of bullets, gunfire, screams, and intermittent explosions. I was urgently summoned to the hospital. Upon arrival, I witnessed a complete change in the nature of injuries—there were far more gunshot wounds than before.”

This escalation has drawn international attention, with human rights organizations closely monitoring the situation. The use of live ammunition against protesters represents a significant and troubling development in the Iranian government’s response to civil unrest.

“The situation was totally different. Shots from close range, injuries leading to death.”

Human rights groups say thousands have been killed as security forces moved to suppress the demonstrations, with some estimates placing the death toll above 3,000, Fox News’ chief foreign correspondent Trey Yingst reported Tuesday.

The protests were fueled by anger over economic hardship, rising prices and inflation before expanding into broader anti-government demonstrations.

Protests against the Ayatollah-led regime erupted Dec. 28. (Carlos Jasso/AFP via Getty Images)

“The calls I received on my home phone for medical advice were no longer about pellet wounds,” the doctor said. “People were saying they had been shot, with bullets entering one side of the body and exiting the other. Live ammunition.”

Describing scenes in Isfahan, which is a major protest hub, the doctor said streets were stained with blood as security forces deployed heavier weapons.

“A large amount of blood, about a liter, had pooled in the gutter and blood trails extended for several meters,” the doctor claimed.

“The level and intensity of violence increased step by step,” he said before describing a change in aggression on Jan. 9.

Eight “unrecognizable” bodies were reportedly brought in during a night shift, the doctor claimed. (Getty Images)

“On Friday night, I heard automatic gunfire. I am familiar with weapons and can distinguish their sounds. I heard DShK heavy machine guns. I heard PK machine guns.

“These weapons are in the possession of IRGC units — DShKs, PK machine guns, and Kalashnikovs,” the doctor said. “The trauma cases I saw were brutal, shoot-to-kill.”

Victims ranged from teenagers to elderly men, the doctor said. Some injuries were so severe that bodies were unrecognizable.

“One colleague said that during a night shift, eight bodies were brought in with gunshot wounds to the face; their faces were unrecognizable. Many bodies are not identifiable at all,” he added.

The account comes as President Donald Trump publicly voiced support for Iranian protesters. 

On Tuesday, Trump urged Iranians to “take over” their institutions, saying he had canceled all meetings with Iranian officials until the crackdown ends.