Iran students stage first large anti-government protests since deadly crackdown

BBC News - WorldCenterEN 3 min read 100% complete February 21, 2026 at 11:09 PM

AI Summary

medium article 3 min

Iranian students staged large anti-government protests at several universities across the country on Saturday, marking the first rallies of this scale since a deadly crackdown last month. Demonstrations occurred at Sharif University of Technology, Shahid Beheshti University, and Amir Kabir University of Technology in Tehran, as well as in Mashhad. Protesters chanted anti-government slogans, including "death to the dictator," referring to Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. Scuffles broke out between protesters and pro-government supporters at Sharif University. The protests follow previous demonstrations sparked by economic grievances and coincide with ongoing international discussions regarding Iran's nuclear program.

Key Entities & Roles

Key Player Opposition Context

Mashhad 30% Amir Kabir University of Technology 30% Shahid Beheshti University 30% Donald Trump 40% BBC ×340% Ayatollah Ali Khamenei 50% United States ×450% Sharif University of Technology ×260% Tehran ×470% Iran ×790%

Keywords

anti-government protests 100% iran 90% student protests 80% deadly crackdown 70% tehran 60% nuclear programme 50% economic grievances 40% sharif university 40%