Verified videos, seen by BBC Verify, have recently shown bodies piled inside a hospital, armed men on rooftops and CCTV cameras being smashed, as Iranian security forces crack down on protests across the country.
The videos emerged despite a near-total internet shutdown imposed by Iranian authorities, which has made it difficult to confirm what is happening on the ground.
BBC Verify has tracked protests since they began in late December. It said the blackout has limited access, but some footage has still reached the outside world through satellite internet and VPNs.
Activists said Tuesday that at least 6,126 people were killed in Iran’s crackdown on nationwide protests and many more are still feared dead.
The new figures came from the US-based Human Rights Activists News Agency, which has been accurate in multiple rounds of unrest in Iran. The group verifies each death with a network of activists on the ground in Iran, as reported by the Associated Press (AP).
Another group, Iran Human Rights (IHR), based in Norway, warned the final death toll could exceed 25,000.
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Iranian authorities said last week that more than 3,100 people had been killed, adding that most were security personnel or bystanders attacked by what they called “rioters”.
The latest verified videos were filmed on 8 and 9 January, after calls for nationwide protests by Reza Pahlavi, the exiled son of Iran’s former Shah. The BBC said these appear to be the deadliest days so far.
Footage shows bodies stacked inside a mortuary at Tehranpars hospital in east Tehran. The BBC said it matched the hospital’s interior with publicly available images and counted at least 31 bodies in one clip. Another video shows seven body bags outside the hospital entrance.
In another video from west Tehran, hundreds of people are seen protesting on a highway before gunfire is heard and people begin to scream.
🔴CRAZY War scenes from Mashhad, Iran.
This is war in its ugliest form: terrorists with guns vs empty-handed Iranians.
Date: unknown pic.twitter.com/RbcPyYW7by
— Savakzadeh (@Savakzadeh) January 27, 2026
The BBC also verified footage showing protesters damaging CCTV cameras, which it said may be an attempt to avoid surveillance. In one clip, a man climbs a post and strikes a camera as a large crowd cheers below.
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BBC Verify said it has tracked protests in at least 71 towns and cities, but added that the real number is likely higher.
In the south-eastern city of Kerman, a video filmed from a high building shows armed men in military clothing firing weapons as chanting is heard in the background. The BBC said it could not confirm who they were shooting at.
The BBC also verified footage from Mashhad showing two men on a rooftop, one standing beside a rifle while speaking on a phone, and the other crouching nearby.
The BBC said more videos are expected to emerge in the coming days as people regain limited internet access.
