In a troubling escalation of violence, Iranian security forces have reportedly shifted from using pellet guns to live ammunition during recent protests, leading to a significant rise in casualties. This information comes from a doctor who has been treating the wounded and spoke to the Center for Human Rights in Iran (CHRI) after fleeing the country.

The doctor, who provided care to injured demonstrators, revealed to CHRI that the switch to live fire notably increased the death toll just days after the protests began on December 28. “Initially, law enforcement was using pellet shotguns, which scatter pellets. In those early days, I would receive around five or six calls daily about individuals struck by pellets—often in the back, or even in the head or scalp,” the doctor recounted.

This alarming change in tactics was first observed on January 8, coinciding with a nationwide internet blackout imposed by authorities, effectively cutting off communication. The doctor, who has since left Iran, claims this marked a turning point in the authorities’ response to the unrest.

The use of live ammunition against protesters, as alleged by the doctor, underscores the increasingly severe measures being employed by Iranian security forces in their efforts to quell the demonstrations.

A doctor who fled Iran alleges live ammunition is now being used against protesters. (UGC via AP)

“From about 8:10 to 8:20 pm, the sound of bullets, gunfire, screams, and sporadic explosions could be heard. I was called to the hospital. When I arrived, I saw that the nature of the injuries and the number of gunshot wounds had changed completely,” the doctor said of the days around the blackout.

“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.