Iran Protests: Medic Reports Severe Surgeon Shortage in Shiraz

As anti-government protests in Iran entered their second week, hospitals across the country reported being overwhelmed by injured demonstrators, according to medical staff who spoke to the BBC. A doctor said Tehran’s main eye hospital had been forced into emergency crisis operations, while another medic reported a severe shortage of surgeons at a hospital in the southern city of Shiraz.

Amid the unrest, US President Donald Trump warned that Iran was facing “serious trouble,” cautioning authorities against using live fire on protesters. Tehran, however, accused Washington of escalating the situation, telling the UN Security Council that the US was encouraging violence and unrest.

Protests have spread to dozens of Iranian cities, with human rights organisations reporting at least 50 civilian deaths. Due to a near-total internet shutdown and restrictions on foreign media, independent verification of events inside Iran remains extremely difficult.

A doctor who contacted the BBC via Starlink satellite internet said Farabi Hospital in Tehran had suspended non-emergency treatments to cope with the influx of patients, many suffering severe eye injuries. Staff were called in urgently to manage the crisis.

A separate audio and video message from a medic in Shiraz described large numbers of wounded people arriving at hospital, many with gunshot wounds to the head and eyes. The medic said the facility lacked enough surgical staff to manage the scale of injuries.

According to the US-based Human Rights Activist News Agency, at least 50 protesters and 15 security personnel have been killed since demonstrations began on 28 December, with more than 2,300 arrests reported. Meanwhile, Iran Human Rights said at least 51 protesters, including nine children, had died, with the identities of 22 victims confirmed by BBC Persian.

International leaders expressed alarm over the rising death toll. The United Nations reiterated that people everywhere have the right to protest peacefully, and governments must safeguard that right. France, the UK, and Germany issued a joint statement urging Iranian authorities to respect freedom of expression and peaceful assembly.

Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei dismissed the protests in a televised address, saying the Islamic Republic would not retreat and warning that the state would act firmly against what it called “destructive elements.”

The Iranian government intensified its stance, with the Supreme National Security Council threatening decisive legal action against protesters, whom it labelled as armed vandals. The IRGC also vowed to continue security operations until it claimed hostile plans were defeated.

Meanwhile, US officials said they were closely monitoring developments. Trump suggested protesters were gaining control of areas previously thought unreachable and repeated threats of harsh retaliation if violence continued, though he ruled out deploying ground troops. US officials also rejected Iranian claims that Washington and Israel were orchestrating the unrest.