Iranian Students Protest at Universities on 40th Day of Mourning

Students at several universities in Tehran and other Iranian cities protested on Saturday as the new academic semester began, marking the 40th day of mourning for those killed during recent nationwide antigovernment demonstrations. The gatherings, which included clashes with pro-government student groups, highlighted ongoing unrest that has gripped the country since late December.

Videos circulating online showed demonstrators at Sharif University of Technology in Tehran marching in rows and chanting against Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, labeling him a "murderous leader." Some called for Reza Pahlavi, the exiled son of Iran's last shah, to return as a monarch. Similar protests occurred at Amirkabir University of Technology, Shahid Beheshti University in Tehran, and Ferdowsi University of Mashhad in the northeast, where crowds chanted slogans such as "Death to Khamenei," "Death to the dictator," and "Freedom." In the western town of Abdanan, a protest hotspot, residents rallied after the arrest of an activist teacher, repeating anti-leadership chants.

At Sharif University, tensions escalated into physical confrontations between protesters and members of the Basij, a...