Protests have resumed across Iran in recent days, driven by university reopenings and traditional 40-day mourning ceremonies for those killed in earlier crackdowns, according to Iranian activist Armin Navabi.
In an interview, Navabi said the demonstrations are not yet on the same scale seen earlier this year, when millions reportedly took to the streets, but argued they show that dissent remains strong despite what he described as a “mass slaughter” by the regime. His claims about the scale of killings could not be independently verified.
Armin Navabi, Iranian Activist
(Video: Lior Sharon)
Navabi said two main factors are fueling the renewed unrest. The first is the 40th-day memorial tradition, in which mourners gather to mark 40 days since a death. Such commemorations have historically served as flashpoints for fresh protests in Iran.
The second factor is the reopening of universities across the country.
“As soon as the universities opened, the students came out and they’re protesting again,” Navabi said, adding that campus demonstrations are particularly significant because they suggest what he called “the revolution is alive.”
He said students are chanting slogans in support of Reza Pahlavi, the exiled son of Iran’s last shah. According to Navabi, chants heard on campuses include “This is the final battle, Pahlavi will return” and “Long live the king.”
Navabi described the pro-Pahlavi slogans as notable given that Iranian universities have historically been associated with leftist and anti-monarchy activism. During the 1979 Islamic Revolution, campuses were centers of opposition to the shah, whose father, Reza Shah, founded Iran’s first modern universities.
Now, Navabi said, many students are openly expressing pro-Western and pro-Israel views. He argued that being pro-Israel is “the norm” in Iran rather than the exception, though that assertion could not be independently confirmed.
Navabi said he remains in contact with family members and a network of activists inside Iran and continues to receive videos and updates through messaging apps.
The activist also addressed expectations among some Iranians regarding potential U.S. or Israeli military action against the Islamic Republic.
He said that after President Donald Trump and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu voiced support for Iranian protesters earlier this year, some opposition supporters were disappointed when no immediate action followed large-scale demonstrations.
Protests at one of Tehran's universities
However, he said some now believe any delay may indicate preparation for a more significant move.
“If the attacks that are coming are significant and take out the leaders of the Islamic Republic and especially the forces that are responsible for suppressing the people, then the Iranian people will have the upper hand,” Navabi said.
He specifically mentioned senior Iranian leaders and the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps and the Basij militia as key pillars of the regime’s suppression apparatus. If those structures were weakened, he argued, protesters would return to the streets in even greater numbers.
“As soon as they notice that the regime cannot oppress them in the way that they did before, they will come out,” he said.
Navabi contended that regime change would require coordination between Iranian protesters and outside powers, with Iranians serving as “the boots on the ground” while the United States and Israel provide support.
Neither U.S. nor Israeli officials have publicly endorsed military action aimed at toppling Iran’s leadership. Tehran has repeatedly accused Washington and Jerusalem of interfering in its internal affairs, accusations both governments deny.
Despite uncertainty over whether outside intervention will occur, Navabi said he believes many Iranians remain determined to continue protesting if they sense the regime’s grip has weakened.