Iranian students held anti-government protests at several universities for the third consecutive day, according to videos published online and verified by RFE/RL.

The new protests are the first since the authorities killed thousands of people in an unprecedented crackdown on nationwide demonstrations against Iran's clerical rulers last month.

The renewed unrest comes as Iran braces for possible US military action. US President Donald Trump has warned Tehran against further violence against demonstrators and threatened to strike the Islamic republic over its refusal to abandon its nuclear program.

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Scores of students staged protests on February 23 in at least four universities in the capital, Tehran, including Al-Zahra University, Tehran University, Sharif University of Technology, and Amirkabir University of Technology.

Videos on social mediashowed female students at Al-Zahra University chanting, "This is the year of blood. Sayed Ali will be toppled," in reference to Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.

Meanwhile, videos showed students atTehran Universitychanting, "Women, life, freedom," a reference to the 2022 nationwide protests that were triggered by the death in custody of a young woman who was accused of violating Iran's hijab law.

The new demonstrations have coincided with the start of the new university semester and the hundreds of ceremonies that have been held across the country in the past week commemorating victims killed during the state crackdown on mass protests in January.

At least 7,000 people were killed during the protests that erupted in late December 2025, according to human rights groups, although the real death toll is believed to be significantly higher.

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Most of the killings reportedly occurred between January 8 and 10, the peak of the crackdown.

The protests were among the largest in Iran since the 1979 Islamic Revolution.

The renewed protests in Tehran come as the United States continues to threaten to strike Iran over its disputed nuclear program despite several rounds of indirect negotiations.

Trump has dispatched two aircraft carrier strike groups with dozens of fighter jets and bombers to the region, and other military planes and supporting forces have been spotted flying into airbases in the Middle East.

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In the biggest reported show of opposition in the capital since the deadly crackdown last month, Iranian students chanting anti-government slogans faced off with security forces outside Sharif University of Technology onFebruary 21. Similar rallies were reported at other universities.

On February 22, students confronted soldiers from the Basij, a volunteer paramilitary force that has played a prominent role in quashing past political protests, outside the Amir Kabir University of Technology.

The students could be heard chanting anti-government slogans according to social media videos. Others could be seen waving the Iranian national flag.

Universities in Tehran have often been the scene of student protests that have taken place since the 1979 revolution and resulted in brutal crackdowns by the security forces.

Iranian Students Reignite Anti-Government Protests For Third Day

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