Published by Global Banking & Finance Review®
Posted on February 21, 2026
2 min readLast updated: April 3, 2026
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Students at several Iranian universities launched protests as the new term began, with some clashes involving Basij groups. Chants targeted Khamenei, while rights groups reported unrest across multiple cities.
DUBAI, Feb 21 (Reuters) - Students held protests at several Iranian universities at the start of a new semester on Saturday, some clashing with pro-government groups, according to local news agencies and posts on social media.
The protests coincided with ceremonies traditionally held after 40 days to mourn those killed by security forces during last month's anti-government demonstrations, which saw thousands lose their lives in the worst domestic unrest since Iran's 1979 Islamic Revolution.
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.
State-affiliated news agencies such as SNN carried videos of clashes, with protesters allegedly injuring volunteer student Basij militia by throwing rocks at Iran's top engineering university. Pro-government Basij members often assist security forces in quelling protests.
Protests were also held in Beheshti and Amir Kabir universities in the capital Tehran and Mashhad University in the northeast, according to videos published by rights group HAALVSH, which Reuters could not verify.
In the western town of Abdanan, a hotspot for protests, demonstrators chanted "Death to Khamenei" and "Death to the dictator" after the arrest of an activist teacher, according to rights group Hengaw and social media posts.
(Reporting by Dubai newsroom; Editing by Jan Harvey)
Students in Iran began the new university term with protests across several campuses. Reports noted clashes with pro-government Basij groups and chants critical of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
Demonstrations were reported at Tehran’s Sharif, Beheshti, and Amir Kabir universities, as well as Mashhad University and the western town of Abdanan.
Pro-government Basij members and student protesters reportedly clashed at some campuses, with stones allegedly thrown at Sharif University according to state-affiliated media.
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