Islamic Republic security forces may have used lethal chemical weapons to viciously stamp out protestors across Iran.

The claims were first reported Saturday during a special television broadcast on the UK’s GBNews.

“People believe that some kind of toxic chemical substance has been used against protestors, causing some of the injured to lose their lives days later,” said former UK lawmaker Bill Rammell, who was minister of State for Foreign Affairs and the Armed Forces.

Thousands have died during the violent clashes in Iran since the start of the year. UGC/AFP via Getty Images

“The number of those killed and injured is very high,” he continued, reading from a report he called “unverified but credible,” from the Labor Foreign Policy Group.

“If that is true, I think that’s extraordinarily concerning,” he commented.

The concerning reports have not been verified by Western governments or intelligence.

At least 3,090 deaths, including 2,885 protesters, have been verified by the US-based Human Rights Activists News Agency since demonstrations erupted across Tehran. While sources inside Iran estimate at least 12,000 — and possibly as many as 20,000 — people may have been killed, according to CBS News.

Over the past few days, unverified images showing security forces on special trucks wearing hazmat gear have been shared across social media, sparking concerns chemical agents could have been used.

Lethal chemical weapons like nerve and chocking agents, designed to kill or cause severe lasting injury, are illegal under international law.

Last month, a report from Iran International suggested the regime’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps was developing biological and chemical weapons. And in August, a shipment Tehran was trying to send to Iranian-backed Houthis rebels was intercepted by Yemeni forces.

“The number of those killed and injured is very high,” said Ramell, citing from the report. UGC/AFP via Getty Images

The Islamic Forces has been cracking down on protestors in Iran. NurPhoto via Getty Images

It’s not the first time accusations of chemical weapons in the region have sparked concerns.

During the 2022 wave of protests in Iran, an “unidentified green gas” was seen at demonstrations, with images showing thick green smoke packing the streets during violent clashes between protestors and security forces.

There have also been confirmed instances of lethal chemical weapons used in other parts of the Middle East over the last few decades.

“There’s a history in this part of the region,” said Rammell. “If you look at Saddam Hussein, who used gases against 5,000 people in Halabja, and murdered them brutally, I fear this has got real echoes of that.”