Iranian students clash with militia as fresh protests erupt

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Students staged protests at several Iranian universities on Saturday, marking the start of a new semester with clashes between demonstrators and pro-government factions, according to local news agencies and posts on social media.

The unrest coincided with mourning ceremonies, traditionally held after 40 days, for those killed during January’s anti-government demonstrations.

They saw thousands lose their lives in the most severe domestic upheaval since Iran’s 1979 Islamic Revolution.

A video, reportedly from Tehran’s Sharif University of Technology, showed marchers condemning Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei as a “murderous leader” and advocating for Reza Pahlavi, the exiled son of Iran’s deposed shah, to assume a new monarchical role.

State-affiliated news agencies such as SNN carried videos of clashes, with protesters allegedly injuring volunteer student Basij militia by throwing rocks at Iran’s top engineering university.

Pro-government Basij members often assist security forces in quelling protests.

In this image from video obtained by the AP outside Iran, a masked demonstrator holds a picture of Iran's Crown Prince Reza Pahlavi during a protest in Tehran, Iran, on Jan. 9, 2026 — In this image from video obtained by the AP outside Iran, a masked demonstrator holds a picture of Iran’s Crown Prince Reza Pahlavi during a protest in Tehran, Iran, on Jan. 9, 2026 (UGC)

Protests were also held in Beheshti and Amir Kabir universities in the capital Tehran and Mashhad University in the northeast, according to videos published by rights group HAALVSH, which Reuters could not verify.

In the western town of Abdanan, a hotspot for protests, demonstrators chanted “Death to Khamenei” and “Death to the dictator” after the arrest of an activist teacher, according to rights group Hengaw and social media posts.

The January protests saw US President Donald Trump slap a new tariff on Iran’s trading partners and move the nuclear-powered USS Abraham Lincoln aircraft carrier to the Middle East.

Mr Pahlavi accused the Tehran regime of killing an Iranian protester “every 14 seconds” amid a brutal crackdown.

However, Mr Trump said he had received assurances that planned executions were not taking place.

January 8 and 9 were the most deadly 48 hours of the protests, when security forces began firing lethal rounds on protesters under the cover of an internet blackout.

A network of doctors inside Iran estimates the national death toll could exceed 30,000 people. This far outstrips the regime’s figure of 3,117 dead reported on Iranian state TV.