In brief
Amid widespread protests across Iran, a BBC Persian investigation has uncovered the extensive use of lethal weaponry by security forces against demonstrators. Reports and verified footage highlight the deployment of machine guns, sniper rifles, shotguns, and even machetes, leading to thousands of deaths. The crackdown is described as the most brutal in modern Iranian history, with officials blaming 'rioters' for the violence and dismissing the call for accountability.
Warning: The following story contains graphic details of violence which some readers might find upsetting.The analysis conducted by BBC News Persian of numerous videos and photographs captured during the recent protests in Iran confirms that security forces employed a diverse arsenal of weapons, including machine guns, sniper rifles, and shotguns.Reports indicate numerous fatalities across over 200 cities, though the precise death toll remains indeterminate. Witness accounts, corroborated by human rights organizations and media outlets, suggest that the violent crackdowns have claimed thousands of lives nationwide.The brutal response to protests—initially sparked by economic grievances—has reached dimensions not previously witnessed in contemporary Iranian history. Payam Akhavan, an Iranian Canadian former UN prosecutor, labeled it as the largest mass killing in recent Iranian history and one of the largest globally.Despite government assertions attributing the violence to 'rioters and terrorists,' comprehensive analysis by BBC News Persian has documented the varied types of weaponry deployed against protesters, including:
- Machine guns
- Sniper rifles
- Assault rifles
- Shotguns
- Handguns
- Pellet-firing paintball guns
- Tear gas
- Machetes
- Knives
- Batons
- Large wooden clubs
- Green laser pointers used for targeting
