Iranian Universities See Renewed Protests and Clashes on First Day of Semester

New anti-government protests have erupted across Iran, with students from several universities clashing with pro-government groups on campus grounds. The demonstrations coincide with the start of the new academic semester and rising tensions in Iran's relations with the United States.

Students from prestigious institutions, including Tehran's Amir Kabir University and Sharif University of Technology, gathered on campus on Saturday, February 21. They were heard chanting slogans against the country's leadership and Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.

The situation escalated when one group of students began shouting anti-government and pro-monarchy slogans. In response, another group mobilized to defend the government's position, leading to confrontations. Reports from social media indicate that protests also took place at universities in Tehran and Mashhad, with clashes reported between demonstrators and members of the Basij militia at Sharif University.

These latest campus protests follow a wave of nationwide unrest that began in late December 2025, initially triggered by a sharp devaluation of the national currency. Those protests later evolved into broader anti-government demonstrations, which were met with a severe crackdown. Internet access was restricted across the country, and reports emerged of casualties among both security forces and protesters; some estimates suggest nearly two thousand people may have been killed.

Iranian authorities, who accused the United States and Israel of orchestrating the earlier unrest, claimed on January 12 that they had successfully brought the situation under control. The resurgence of protests on university campuses indicates ongoing political dissent among the student population.