While the full dimensions of the repression of Iran’s nationwide uprising, a crime of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), have yet to be fully clarified and the number of those killed in the January 2026 uprising continues to rise each day, CNN revealed a shocking account in a recent interview. The interview was broadcast on February 12. Its main focus was a raid by security forces on the home of an Iranian photojournalist. She has documented protests and scenes of repression for years. She now says that agents stormed her apartment and confiscated all her equipment. Many view this action as part of the IRGC’s effort to destroy evidence.
The photojournalist, introduced as Yalda, stated that agents entered her home at dawn. She said she was asleep at the time of the raid. The forces took all her cameras and her 25-year archive of photographs. She emphasized that she feels no sense of security. Anxiety and fear of arrest now cast a heavy shadow over her life. The raid occurred at a time when her images are considered part of the visual memory of the protests. Eliminating these documents could help conceal the IRGC’s crimes.
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The IRGC’s crime in the streets; an eyewitness account
In the interview, Yalda described scenes she had never witnessed in her 25 years of professional work. She spoke of hundreds and thousands of people in the streets. Families, along with children and the elderly, participated in the protests. People chanted slogans and blocked streets. Drivers showed support by honking their horns.
According to her, security forces fired large quantities of tear gas and stun grenades. She said it seemed as though there was one tear gas canister for each person. Despite the repression, people repeatedly returned. Some protesters set a police vehicle on fire. Buildings affiliated with the government became targets of public anger.
Yalda emphasized that shots were fired at people from the rooftop of a building belonging to the Basij, a paramilitary force subordinate to the IRGC. Snipers were positioned on top of the building. This account presents a direct image of the crimes committed by the IRGC and its affiliated forces. Firing from an elevated position at protesters indicated a premeditated decision.
The IRGC’s crime and family mourning
The photojournalist was not merely an external observer. One of her relatives was also killed during the protests. She said security forces shot and killed him. The family searched for nearly one week to find his body. According to her, the number of corpses was so high that the location of many of them was unknown.
Images of funeral ceremonies were also part of her documentation. Yalda said she hardly knows any family that is not in mourning. According to her, everyone is grieving. This account shows that the IRGC’s crime did not remain confined to the streets. It penetrated into homes.
In another part of the interview, she was asked which image she most wanted to share with the world. She spoke of a photograph of a girl standing in front of a police vehicle, making a victory sign. For her, this image symbolized hope—hope that came under fire during the crackdown.
Yalda described the current state of society as the saddest time in our history. She said that in her 44 years of life, she had never experienced such despair. People ask one another what should be done. This question is repeated in small and large gatherings alike.
At the end of the interview, the host referred to an apology by Masoud Pezeshkian, the president of the Iranian regime. Yalda considered the apology meaningless. She said people know that the main decision-maker lies elsewhere—namely Ali Khamenei. These remarks reflect a widespread public view of the power structure in Iran, a structure that bears responsibility for the IRGC’s crimes.
This interview stands as a living document of efforts to erase the traces of bloodshed. Nevertheless, the reality of the crimes of the IRGC, designated as a terrorist organization by the United States, remains etched in the public memory. The widespread repression, snipers, and large numbers of those killed reveal the true face of a structure that sees its survival in the elimination of truth.
