Student protests are once again spreading across universities in Iran, marking the third consecutive day of demonstrations since campuses reopened for the new semester on Saturday.
Verified videos circulating on social media show hundreds of students in Tehran, Mashhad and Isfahan chanting slogans against the ruling establishment. Demonstrators were heard shouting “Death to Khamenei” and “Woman, Life, Freedom,” directly challenging Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei and calling for sweeping political change.
The renewed unrest appears to be the most widespread since a violent nationwide crackdown earlier this year. The Human Rights Activists News Agency has reported that more than 7,000 people were killed during the suppression of protests, though those figures cannot be independently verified.
Some student groups have also voiced support for Reza Pahlavi, the U.S.-based son of Iran’s former monarch, chanting “Pahlavi will return.” His calls for demonstrations in early January coincided with a surge in nationwide protests prior to the government’s intensified crackdown.
At the University of Tehran, students gathered in the Foreign Languages department holding photos of victims, including Raha Bohlouli, an Italian language student reportedly killed during the January unrest. Similar demonstrations unfolded at Amirkabir University of Technology, where protesters were confronted by pro-government Basiji students attempting to disrupt the gathering.
Meanwhile, some participants from Sharif University of Technology reportedly received text messages informing them they were barred from entering campus, according to the semi-official Asriran News Agency.
40th-Day Ceremonies Become Flashpoints
The latest demonstrations coincide with traditional 40th-day memorial ceremonies for those killed in January’s violence. In Iranian culture, the 40th day after burial holds special significance, often drawing large gatherings of mourners — and historically serving as catalysts for further protests.
Across the country, cemeteries, mosques and holy shrines have transformed into sites of both remembrance and resistance. Thousands of grieving families are marking the ceremonies in unconventional ways, with videos showing mourners dancing to music in acts widely interpreted as defiance.
Many women — including those from conservative or religious backgrounds — have been seen dancing in black clothing, some without headscarves. Such displays directly challenge the strict social codes enforced by the Islamic Republic, whose leadership has long condemned public music and dancing, particularly in religious spaces.
Observers say the symbolic acts are transforming collective grief into visible protest, honoring young lives lost while expressing outrage at the government’s actions.
“No tears or words can express my pain,” a relative of a protest victim in Tehran said, speaking anonymously. “I always dreamed of dancing at his wedding. Instead, I danced beside his grave. My dream was taken away by a bullet.”
The resurgence of campus protests comes as officials from the United States and Iranian leaders prepare to meet in Geneva on Thursday for another round of talks aimed at reviving a potential nuclear agreement.
