Iranian students protest for second day at some universities


A sign with a depiction of Iran's Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, is reflected in a shop window in Tehran, Iran, February 19, 2026. Majid Asgaripour/WANA (West Asia News Agency) via REUTERS/File Photo

DUBAI, Feb 22 (Reuters) - ⁠Students held protests which led to clashes at ⁠several Iranian universities for a second day on ‌Sunday, according to local news agencies and social media posts, with Iran facing a U.S. military buildup as it seeks to reach a ​nuclear deal with Washington.

The fresh unrest ⁠follows anti-government demonstrations last ⁠month in which thousands of people were killed in ⁠the ‌worst domestic unrest since Iran's 1979 Islamic Revolution.

Iran's state TV carried videos of what it ⁠said were individuals "pretending to be students" attacking pro-government ​students in ‌Tehran who were taking part in protests to condemn ⁠January's disturbances, ​with these individuals allegedly injuring students by throwing rocks.

Protests also took place at universities in Mashhad in the northeast, ⁠according to videos published by the ​U.S.-based rights group HRANA, which said the intervention of security forces in the protests led to injuries.

On Saturday a video ⁠purportedly showed rows of marchers at Tehran's Sharif University of Technology condemning Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei as a "murderous leader", and calling for Reza Pahlavi, the exiled ​son of Iran's toppled shah, to ⁠be a new monarch.

The recent protests, which started in ​December over economic hardships and quickly ‌turned political, were repressed in ​the most violent crackdown since the 1979 Islamic Revolution.

(Reporting by Elwely Elwelly, Editing by William Maclean)

Follow us on our official WhatsApp channel for breaking news alerts and key updates!

Next In World

South Korea arrests Shincheonji church leader for meddling in politics, media report
Ukraine to conduct preemptive attacks on facilities Russia uses for war, Zelenskiy says
Magnitude 6.9 quake strikes Japan's northeast, no tsunami warning
U.S. concludes Hantavirus response effort, no U.S. cases detected
Exclusive-Trump seeks more than $1.4 billion in Ebola funding from Congress
DR Congo reports 1,118 confirmed Ebola cases, 291 deaths
Rescue work underway after quakes rock Venezuela, 'high casualties' likely
Scotland lineup for World Cup Group C match against Brazil
Bosnia and Herzegovina beats Qatar 3-1, keeps knockout hopes alive
Brazil lineup for World Cup Group C match against Scotland

Others Also Read