Iranian students are protesting in Tehran and Mashhad following January’s government crackdown that reportedly killed over 36,500 demonstrators.
New Student Demonstrations
Iranian students have taken to the streets in Tehran and Mashhad in new protests against the government. Footage shared on social media shows riots occurring during the demonstrations.
These protests follow January when Iranian authorities suppressed anti-government demonstrations across the country. According to estimates from opposition media, over 36,500 protesters were killed during that crackdown.
Violent Confrontations Reported
Opposition Iranian media report that authorities attempted to brutally suppress the new demonstrations. The London-based Iran International channel reported that students in Tehran were attacked by Basij paramilitaries, an organization linked to Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps.
BBC confirmed the authenticity of video footage showing students from Sharif University participating in a demonstration on February 21. According to BBC, scuffles occurred between the students and government supporters.
Students at Shahid Beheshti University organized an occupation protest in response to the ongoing demonstrations.
Controversial Remark on Video
A video circulating on social media shows a Sharif University lecturer telling a protester to “look for your friends in the Kahrizah morgue.” This refers to the location where thousands of families searched for missing relatives killed in January.
The man in the video was identified as Ali-Akbar Abolhasani, son-in-law of Mohammad-Javad Larijani, a key foreign advisor to Ali Khamenei. His brother, Ali Larijani, who chairs Iran’s Supreme National Security Council, is on the US sanctions list as one of the architects of the brutal suppression of peaceful protests.
Increased US Pressure
The new wave of demonstrations in Iran coincides with increased US military presence near the country. On Friday, Donald Trump stated that he does not rule out conducting a limited attack on Iran.
The day before, Trump announced he would decide on potential military actions within 10-15 days. The US president wants to pressure Tehran to abandon Iran’s nuclear program. Trump has previously expressed support for participants in anti-government protests in Iran.
