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The Conversation
The Conversation
Pardis Mahdavi, Professor of Anthropology, University of La Verne; University of California, Berkeley

Iran’s universities have long been a battleground, where protests happen and students fight for the future

Anti-government Iranian protesters rally on Jan. 8, 2026, in Tehran. Anonymous/Getty Images

Iran’s current wave of protests continues to spread across the country, as the United States weighs military intervention. Meanwhile, many Iranian people continue to struggle to pay for basic necessities amid a collapsing currency.

The anti-government demonstrations began in Tehran’s Grand Bazaar, one of the largest and oldest covered markets in the world, in December 2025. From there, they quickly reached Iran’s university campuses.

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