In brief
Parnia, an eyewitness of the protests in Isfahan, describes the chaotic scene as security forces opened fire on crowds. With an ongoing internet blackout, accounts of the violence remain limited, but Parnia recalls men, women, and children protesting against the regime and facing brutal crackdowns. Reports suggest thousands of casualties as the unrest continues.
Warning: This story contains details which some readers might find distressing.
An Iranian woman who witnessed the bloody crackdown on protests in Iran has described how her neighbourhood turned into a war zone as security forces opened fire at crowds with live ammunition.
A government-imposed internet blackout in Iran, now in its third week, has prevented many accounts of what has happened from reaching the wider world.
But some Iranians who have left the country have been able to share what they have seen.
Parnia, who lives in London, told the BBC that she was visiting her family in the central city of Isfahan when the protests broke out in the capital, Tehran. They quickly spread across the country, and within days there were hundreds of protesters in the Hakim Nezami and Khaghani neighbourhoods of Isfahan.
There were women and men from seven to 70 years old, she said. On just one street there were 200 to 300 people. People were chanting 'Death to the dictator' and 'Long live the shah'... Isfahan has seen protests and crackdowns down the years. But Parnia said she had never seen anything like what happened during the recent unrest, which was sparked by anger over the collapse of the Iranian currency.
First, security forces fired tear gas at the protesters, she said. Then they formed a line and fired birdshot.
I saw people getting shot and falling down, and I saw blood on the street. Parnia said she ran away down alleyways and was suddenly pulled into an apartment block by a woman. Inside, she said, were many injured protesters.
I saw the lobby floor covered in blood, and I saw a girl whose leg was full of pellets. Videos verified by the BBC from that night show large numbers of people in the streets in Isfahan. Some streets were blocked by traffic sign poles and large metal sheets, in an apparent effort by protesters to protect themselves from gunfire.
On Friday morning, 9 January, Khamenei said Iran would not back down from dealing with what he called 'destructive elements', a day after US President Donald Trump had threatened to hit Iran 'very hard' if authorities started killing people.
Despite enormous risks, Parnia expressed her desire to continue joining protests, asserting, 'Iranians have shown what they want in the streets and paid a high price for it.' Moreover, health sources indicate that hospitals are monitored and that those with gunshot wounds face arrest upon care, leading to many victims developing infections.
