Tehran Students Chant Anti-Government Slogans

Clashes took place at Tehran’s prestigious Sharif University of Technology on Saturday, as the traditional 40th day of mourning for the victims of January’s protests reignited anti-government sentiment.

According to local and diaspora media reports, what began as silent sit-ins to commemorate the dead quickly transformed into volatile rallies.

Videos geolocated to the campus show masked protesters facing off against government supporters, with crowds shouting “bi sharaf” (disgraceful) and “death to the dictator” as fights broke out between the opposing groups.

The current wave of unrest is rooted in demonstrations that began in December over severe economic strain, later escalating into a direct challenge to Iran’s clerical leadership.

The government’s response in early January was marked by a violent crackdown that remains a point of intense contention.

While official state tallies acknowledge over 3,000 deaths—blaming the violence on “terrorist acts” fuelled by foreign enemies—human rights organisations like HRANA suggest the actual toll has exceeded 7,000, the vast majority of whom were civilian demonstrators.

These campus demonstrations highlight a deepening internal rift even as the Iranian government faces significant external pressure.

The authorities are currently navigating high-stakes negotiations regarding the country’s nuclear programme with the United States.

This diplomatic friction is intensified by the fact that U.S. military forces remain deployed within striking distance, coupled with prior threats of military action from Washington in response to the internal crackdown.

As the 40-day mourning period concludes, the persistence of these university protests indicates that the underlying grievances—both economic and political—remain unresolved.

With students at Tehran’s top engineering schools continuing to lead the charge, the clerical leadership finds itself caught between suppressing domestic dissent and managing a precarious geopolitical standoff that threatens the country’s long-term stability.