The officer who aimed at his face, he said, had recognized him as one of the frontline activists who had gone night after night to Valiasr Square in Tehran, Iran’s capital, to face off against security forces, hurling back the tear gas canisters they fired into the crowd.The reports of mass eye injuries echo those in recent years from other places, including Indian-administered Kashmir and Chile, where street protests have been met with security forces firing pellet guns.Many of the materials were shared in a private WhatsApp group that is being used as a hotline for Iranian ophthalmologists seeking advice on how to help injured protesters.Like others who shared information for this article, he spoke on the condition of anonymity for fear of retribution from the Iranian government.“I try to give them hope, but I know from experience that the end result from these injuries is usually not good.” The doctor said his phone was filled with distressing voice notes from protesters, family members and doctors pleading for his advice."