Iran protests reignite at universities in Tehran, Mashhad amid tensions

Anti-government protests reignited at major universities and on the streets of Tehran on Sunday, while reports of tear gas and gunfire in the capital inflamed tensions across Iran.

Students gathered in Tehran and the northeastern city of Mashhad to mark 40 days of commemoration for those killed in anti-government demonstrations across the country in January before violence broke out.

Ali Safavi, exiled member of the Iranian Parliament National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI), in a statement to Fox News, noted that digital anti-government protests at Tehran University included slogans such as “This year is the year of blood” and that the Iranian Revolutionary Guard (IRGC) opened fire on protesters in another part of the city.

Safavi said, “While students at Khajeh Nasir University in Tehran trampled Khamenei’s picture, similar actions took place at Firdevsi and Sajjad universities.”

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“While students were shouting ‘Death to the Shah, the Leader, the oppressor’, the forces opened fire on the crowd, mostly young people, in Tehran’s Vali Asr Street.”

Safavi also claimed that two motorcycle units of men and women affiliated with resistance groups paraded through parts of Tehran carrying flags of the National Liberation Army (NLA), the armed wing of the NCRI.

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Buses burned during protests in Tehran, Iran, January 21, 2026. (Majid Asgaripour/WANA (West Asian News Agency) via Reuters)

In a statement circulating online, university students also condemned the authorities’ renewed attempts to suppress dissent.

“We see once again that the dirty hands of monopolists are trying to turn this sacred area into a playground for reactionary forces,” the statement said. It was said. The statement said, “We, who have tasted the bitter experience of oppression, do not accept any form of dictatorship, whether wearing a headscarf or wearing boots.”

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Demonstrators burn photos of Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei in front of the Iranian embassy during a rally in support of nationwide protests in Iran on January 12, 2026 in London. (Toby Melville/Reuters)

Iranian state television aired videos said to show people “pretending to be students” attacking pro-government students who attended protests to condemn January protests in Tehran.

It was claimed that individuals injured students by throwing stones. Reuters reported.

Some witness statements and opposition groups indicated a stronger response from authorities.

It was reported that security forces fired tear gas at the demonstrators, most of whom were young people.

Protesters also confronted groups of pro-regime demonstrators elsewhere.

Reports from opposition sources showed that shots were also opened as security units tried to disperse the meetings that had spilled beyond the campus area to the surrounding streets.

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Night mobilizations continued for the second time, and large-scale protests were reported on many campuses.

The clashes constituted one of the most visible displays of unrest since the crackdown in January and come as Iran faces a possible military strike by the United States and negotiations over Iran’s nuclear program are ongoing.