Sources told Iran International on Motzei Shabbos that Iranian security forces are using live fire against protesters nationwide, with initial estimates suggesting mass casualties as a widespread crackdown escalates amid a near-complete internet blackout.

Videos smuggled from Kahrizak, south of Tehran, show multiple bodies in body bags, with eyewitnesses reporting dozens more visible at the scene and additional corpses reportedly stored in a nearby industrial warehouse.

Earlier footage from Fardis in Karaj and Alghadir Hospital in eastern Tehran revealed similar scenes of bodies strewn on the ground, pointing to what appears to be a coordinated mass killing across multiple sites rather than isolated city incidents.

The internet shutdown that started January 8 has severely hampered comprehensive reporting, yet the steady flow of consistent accounts to Iran International indicates broad use of lethal force to suppress the protests.

Even conservative figures from the news site indicate that at least 2,000 people may have been killed in the last 48 hours, with sources describing especially severe violence in Karaj’s Fardis district and Tehran areas, with similar accounts emerging from many other regions, including the western provinces of Ilam and Kermanshah.

The video below shows an Israeli flag at a protest in the heart of Tehran:

Despite the blackout, videos and messages—often via Starlink from urban elites—continue reaching Iran International.

US Senator Lindsey Graham, who is considered close to US President Donald Trump, promised help to the protesters, writing on social media: “TO THE IRANIAN PEOPLE: your long nightmare is soon coming to a close. Your bravery and determination to end your oppression has been noticed by @POTUS and all who love freedom.”

“When President Trump says Make Iran Great Again, it means the protestors in Iran must prevail over the ayatollah. That is the clearest signal yet that he, President Trump, understands Iran will never be great with the ayatollah and his henchmen in charge.”

“To all who are sacrificing in Iran, G-d bless. Help is on the way.”

Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu and U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio discussed the possibility of U.S. intervention in Iran during a phone call on Motzei Shabbos, an Israeli source told Reuters.

Three Israeli sources told the outlet that Israel has raised its alert level in preparation for a regional escalation.

(YWN Israel Desk—Jerusalem)