Israel’s leading expert on Iran, Eliyahu Yossian, told Kol Chai Radio that at least 43,000 people have been killed by the regime in Iran since the protests began.

Yossian said Iran’s aggressive actions at sea do not necessarily indicate a desire for war but are rather efforts to project strength and negotiate under fire.

“The Iranians don’t want to remain indebted to Trump and want to end the confrontation without going to war, but they aren’t willing to accept such an outcome publicly,” he said. “On one hand, they’re flexing their muscles; on the other, they’re negotiating. For them, national honor, both domestically and internationally, is crucial and forms an integral part of the rules of the game. The story isn’t only about what they achieve, but also how they achieve it in the eyes of the public.”

Yossian also described the deep rift between the Iranian people and the regime, accompanied by extreme “anti-Islamic” trends among protesters, including the rejection of religious symbols, as a form of resistance to the ayatollahs.

“Some actually want to take this antagonistic approach. For example, many of those killed left a will requesting that no prayers in Arabic be said at their funerals and that the Quran not be recited. It’s part of the anti-Islamic trends among those opposing the regime, who want to show the extent of their hatred toward the type of Islam imposed in Iran. Some have reached a point where they hate religion and choose not to pray in Arabic or to play music at the funerals of those killed as a form of protest.”

Yossian also revealed shocking data regarding the number of people killed during the unrest in Iran, which has even been officially reported by regime-controlled outlets.

“According to data from the Iranian regime’s own broadcasting authority, 43,000 citizens were killed in these riots—and the real number is likely much higher,” he said.

Yossian was born in Iran in 1980 and made aliyah in 2003. He served in the IDF 8200 intelligence unit and was later awarded the Israel Defense Award.

(YWN Israel Desk—Jerusalem)