Iran was rocked by fresh protests across its universities over the weekend as fears rise of US military intervention against the Tehran regime.
Students at several universities gathered on the first day of the new semester on Saturday to honour those killed by Iranian authorities last month. Footage showed clashes between demonstrators and pro-government groups around the campus of the Sharif University of Technology in the capital of Tehran.
Protesters chanted “death to the dictator”, referring to Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, and “we didn’t give our lives to compromise and praise a murderous leader”. In other areas, a chant of “woman, life, freedom, Iranian Republic” was heard, according to Iran Wire.
The protests come as the US continues to build up its military presence in the region ahead of a possible attack. Donald Trump first threatened to intervene in the country last month when reports emerged that the regime was killing protesters.
Washington is now seeking a deal on Iran’s nuclear programme, but two rounds of talks have yet to yield significant progress.
On Sunday, Iranian president Masoud Pezeshkian said that recent negotiations with the US had brought “encouraging signals”.
Iran has suggested it could make concessions on its nuclear programme in return for the US lifting sanctions and recognising its right to enrich uranium. However, a senior Iranian official told Reuters that both sides remain sharply divided after two rounds of talks.
The protests over the weekend were held in campuses across several major universities, including University of Tehran, Beheshti, Amirkabir, Elm-o-Sanat, Khajeh Nasir, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, and Ferdowsi University of Mashhad.
The institutions have also reportedly moved to “administratively” suppress students, with Sharif University announcing that several students were now “banned from entry” for “violating university norms”.
Mr Trump earlier this year promised Iranian protesters that “help is on its way”, as he warned Tehran he would strike if it did not stop its crackdown and halt any planned executions of arrested protesters.
The January protests began over economic grievances before spiralling into Iran’s largest and most widespread protests since the 1979 Islamic Revolution. The US-based Human Rights Activists News Agency said it has confirmed the killings of at least 7,015 people during the protests, including 6,508 protesters, 226 children and 214 who were affiliated with the government.
