Time: Over 30,000 Killed in Iran Protests

According to TIME magazine, senior Iranian Health Ministry officials report that up to 30,000 people may have been killed in protests in Iran on January 8 and 9. Officials stated that security forces caused so many deaths that the state could not manage the bodies, resulting in body bag shortages and the use of trucks instead of ambulances.

The government's internal death toll far exceeds the 3,117 deaths announced by hardliners associated with Ali Khamenei. The Human Rights Activists News Agency reports that it has confirmed 5,459 deaths and is investigating another 17,031.

A doctor, Dr. Amir Parasta, reported that hospitals recorded 30,304 deaths by January 9, not including deaths in military hospitals or areas not covered by the investigation. Iran's Supreme National Security Council reported protests in approximately 4,000 locations.

Witnesses reported that snipers and trucks with machine guns opened fire on protesters. On January 9, an official from the Revolutionary Guards warned that anyone who goes to the streets and is hit by a bullet should not complain.

Shahba Rastian, a 23-year-old artist, was killed in the protests in Isfahan.