Heartbreaking SOS pleas from Iran emerge amid fears death toll could stand at over 20,000

Elon Musk has personally intervened, calling his Starlink satellites into action in a bid to open up the internet inside the Islamic Republic.

There are believed to be at least 50,000 Starlink terminals in Iran alone.

Mahsa Alimardani, a specialist in digital repression, revealed the regime had "started attacking" the satellites.

"We believe the way that they have been trying to disable Starlink from very early on, on Thursday evening, was through GPS jamming.

"By doing GPS jamming, it impacts the way the satellite receivers work," she told The Independent.

Ayatollah Ali Khamenei's regime has been accused of carrying out the “largest killing in Iran’s contemporary history”.

Iranian forces are said to have used "military grade" weapons on pro-freedom protesters, with the majority of deaths said to have fallen on Thursday and Friday last week.

Thousands of demonstrators have been detained by Iranian authorities, with some being sentenced to death by hanging without trial for their involvement.

The regime has branded the protesters "terrorists", pointing the finger at them rather than its own security forces for the high death toll.

A source inside Iran told CBS News that groups within the country working to compile an accurate death toll based on medical information believe at least 12,000 people have been killed in the unrest so far.

However, they warned the figure could be as high as 20,000.

The source also said the regime's security forces had been going into hospitals around Iran, demanding medical workers to give them personal information of those injured in the demonstrations.

One doctor in a Tehran hospital described the chaos from its casualty department last week, when the majority of the deaths are said to have occurred.

The Iranian medical worker said: “There were gunshots, bursts of fire, even heavy machine-gun fire. We had only seen such things in movies, never in real life.

“We had five operating rooms running. I was there until morning. I don’t know how many surgeries I performed.

“Someone shouted ‘Help here!’ while I was still over another patient. From everywhere, the calls came.

“It was like those films showing hospital corridors lined with bodies.

“I saw the naked face of violence. Starting on Thursday, the type of injury changed. It was a war bullet."

The Ayatollah's regime has attempted to minimise the death tally, with one official claiming on Tuesday it stood at "only" 2,000 - and blaming "terrorists" for the slaughter.

However, the Iranian doctor insisted the true figure was "much higher" than this.

Despite the deaths, President Donald Trump has urged Iranians to “keep protesting” and assured them that “help is on the way”.

He wrote on his Truth Social platform: "Iranian patriots, keep protesting - take over your institutions.

"Save the names of the killers and abusers. They will pay a big price."

The President confirmed he had cancelled all meetings scheduled with officials from the Islamic Republic until the regime's "senseless killing of protesters" is halted.

Iran's exiled Crown Prince Reza Pahlavi has also told demonstrators to keep up the fight.

"Do not allow this regime to create the illusion that life is normal," he said after Mr Trump's message.

He also issued a message to the Iranian army - a separate group to the "terror army" Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps.

"You are the national military of Iran, not the military of the Islamic Republic," he said.

"You have a duty to protect the lives of your compatriots. You do not have much time. Join them as soon as possible."

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