Image source, X/Mamlekate, BBC VerifyImage caption, Students at Tehran's al-Zahra University set the flag of the Islamic Republic on fire at a gathering on MondayByRichard Irvine-Brown, Ghoncheh Habibiazad and Shayan Sardarizadeh BBC Verify and BBC PersianPublished23 February 2026 A fresh wave of anti-government protests staged by students at several Iranian universities that began on Saturday has spread to more campuses, footage confirmed by BBC Verify and BBC Persian shows. They are the first large-scale demonstrations in the country since the nationwide protests in December and January which led to a brutal crackdown by the authorities. According to the US-based Human Rights Activists News Agency (Hrana), at least 7,000 people were killed in the January crackdown, including 6,488 protesters and 236 children. It is also verifying reports of another 11,000 deaths. US President Donald Trump said on Friday that around 32,000 people were killed. Meanwhile, the Iranian government has confirmed 3,117 deaths. All in-person classes at Iranian universities were suspended on 4 January for what the authorities described as "severely cold conditions", although critics say the closure was announced to stop potential student demonstrations taking place. The reopening of universities on Saturday has resulted in protests breaking out across multiple campuses in several major cities.
Published: February 23, 2026 5:46 pm
Source: BBC — Read original