Protests resumed Sunday at several universities in Iran, with clashes reported between anti-regime students and members of the Basij militia, as tensions mount amid U.S. threats and renewed nuclear talks.
Demonstrations were reported at Amir Kabir University and Sharif University in Tehran, coinciding with the start of the academic semester. According to opposition-linked outlet Iran International, protests have expanded in recent days, including in the western city of Abdanan, following the arrest of a lecturer. Protesters there chanted “Death to Khamenei” and “Death to the dictator.”
Protests in Iran
Video circulated by opposition channels and media affiliated with the regime showed scuffles that escalated into punches and beatings as Basij members sought to disperse anti-government demonstrators while shielding pro-regime students. Iranian state-linked media reported that one student was injured in the eye by stones thrown by other students.
At Sharif University, footage shared by opposition activists showed students surrounding two demonstrators who waved the lion and sun flag associated with Iran before the 1979 Islamic Revolution. Loud cheers were heard as the flag was raised, with at least one of the students attempting to conceal his face.
Clashes were also reported at Ferdowsi University in Mashhad and at Iran University of Science and Technology in Tehran.
State-affiliated media focused instead on pro-regime rallies at universities. The Fars news agency reported that demonstrators at the University of Tehran expressed “hatred” toward the United States and chanted “Death to America.” Participants were also said to have honored those killed in last month’s unrest and called for national unity.
At Shahid Beheshti University in Tehran, pro-regime supporters chanted “Death or Khamenei,” in contrast to anti-regime slogans calling for the supreme leader’s removal. At Sharif University, pro-government demonstrators burned U.S. and Israeli flags.
Pro-regime protest
While the protests did not appear large in scale, their renewal comes after a sweeping crackdown on mass demonstrations last month. U.S. President Donald Trump claimed over the weekend that 32,000 people were killed in the unrest, though those figures have not been independently verified. Since the crackdown, few significant protests have been reported, aside from anti-regime chants heard at some funeral gatherings.
The unrest unfolds amid escalating tensions with Washington. Trump has issued Iran a “10 to 15-day” ultimatum to reach an agreement limiting its nuclear and missile programs and ending support for regional militias and terrorist organizations.
A senior Iranian official said Sunday that a new round of talks is planned for early March, though key disputes remain over sanctions relief in exchange for nuclear restrictions. Both Iranian and U.S. sources have indicated that an interim agreement remains a possibility.
Meanwhile, U.S. military preparations continue. The aircraft carrier USS Gerald R. Ford recently entered the Mediterranean and is expected to be deployed in the eastern Mediterranean as part of efforts to bolster defenses in the event of a conflict with Iran.
Trump’s envoy, Steve Witkoff, told Fox News that the president is “curious” why Iran has not yielded despite the U.S. military buildup. Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said Saturday that Iran would not “bow its head despite pressure from world powers,” adding that the country would overcome the current phase.