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Iranian Students Take to the Streets Again – Protests and Clashes with Security Forces

Published February 22, 2026, 09:17
Iranian Students Take to the Streets Again – Protests and Clashes with Security Forces

Students organized protests at many universities in Iran on Saturday, coinciding with the start of the new semester, resulting in clashes with pro-government groups in some cases. Protesters condemn Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei and demand the restoration of Reza Pahlavi, the exiled son of the last Shah. At the Sharif University of Technology in Tehran, protesters allegedly injured volunteer student Basij militiamen by throwing stones. Similar mobilizations also took place at other universities in Tehran and Mashhad. The protesters chanted slogans against Khamenei and the government, protesting the arrest of a professor in the city of Abadan. These mobilizations come at a time of heightened tension, with the US threatening Iran and indirect talks between the two countries having resumed. These protests are a continuation of the mobilizations that began in January, which were suppressed with blood. According to the non-governmental organization HRANA, more than 7,000 people were killed and over 53,000 arrested during the protests.