For the third straight day, Iranian students staged anti-government protests at multiple universities, according to videos shared online. These demonstrations mark the first major unrest since authorities killed thousands during last month’s nationwide crackdown against protests opposing the clerical regime.
The renewed unrest comes as Iran faces the possibility of U.S. military action, with President Donald Trump warning Tehran against further violence toward protesters and threatening strikes over its refusal to abandon its nuclear program.
On February 23, students protested at at least four universities in Tehran, including Al-Zahra University, University of Tehran, Sharif University of Technology, and Amir Kabir University of Technology.
Social media footage showed Al-Zahra students chanting: “This is the year of blood. Sayed Ali will fall,” referring to Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. Other videos from the University of Tehran showed students chanting: “Woman, Life, Freedom,” echoing the nationwide protests of 2022 triggered by the death of a young woman in custody over alleged hijab violations.
The protests coincide with the start of the new academic semester and memorial ceremonies across Iran last week for victims killed during the January crackdowns. Human rights groups report that at least 7,000 people were killed during the protests that erupted in late December 2025, though the actual toll is believed to be higher. Most deaths reportedly occurred between January 8 and 10, the peak of the crackdown.
These demonstrations are among the largest in Iran since the 1979 Islamic Revolution.
Meanwhile, the U.S. has escalated military pressure over Iran’s contested nuclear program, deploying two aircraft carriers, fighter jets, and bombers to the region, while support forces have been seen moving toward Middle East airbases.
The most prominent anti-government action in Tehran since last month’s deadly crackdown occurred outside Sharif University of Technology on February 21, where students chanted slogans and confronted security forces. Similar gatherings were reported at other universities.
On February 22, students outside Amir Kabir University of Technology faced members of the Basij, a volunteer paramilitary force previously involved in suppressing political protests. Videos showed students waving the Iranian national flag and chanting anti-government slogans.
Universities in Tehran have long been centers of student activism, often resulting in brutal crackdowns by security forces dating back to the 1979 revolution.
