Continuing unrest in Iran has further escalated across major universities and in the streets of Tehran. Anti-government protests reignited Sunday, with reports of tear gas and shots fired as students gathered to mark 40-day memorials for those killed in January’s nationwide unrest. The clashes reflect growing internal instability amid pressures from a potential U.S. strike and stalled nuclear negotiations.
Students at the University of Tehran and other campuses took to the streets with chants including, “This is the year of blood,” according to Ali Safavi of the National Council of Resistance of Iran. At Khajeh Nasir University, students reportedly “trampled on Khamenei’s picture,” with similar actions at Ferdowsi and Sajjad universities. Demonstrators also voiced defiance on Vali Asr Street, where security forces “fired at the crowds, which were mostly young people.”
Students circulated statements condemning efforts to suppress dissent, asserting they “accept no form of dictatorship, whether with a turban or with boots.” State television countered that some “pretending to be students” attacked pro-government peers, injuring them with thrown rocks, as security forces used tear gas against protests. Opposition sources also reported that shots were fired as crowds spilled into surrounding streets.
These renewed demonstrations occurred amid broader public anger over economic hardship and regime repression that originated in mass protests in late 2025 and early 2026. Officials in Tehran face mounting pressure from both internal dissent and external threats, with U.S. warnings and potential military pressure over Iran’s nuclear program contributing to tensions.
