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Each week, Roula Khalaf, the FT’s Editor, curates her top articles for this bulletin.
Scholars across multiple Iranian higher education institutions orchestrated demonstrations against the current government commencing the fresh academic term, engaging in confrontations with state-aligned factions within university grounds, amidst ongoing societal indignation directed at the Islamic republic following the lethal disturbances of the preceding month.
Learners at the esteemed Amirkabir University of Technology and Sharif University of Technology, situated in Tehran’s central and western districts, convened on university premises on Saturday, vociferating slogans opposing the administration and its paramount leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
These demonstrations unfold amidst an escalation of friction with the United States. The US capital has amassed a substantial military presence in the Middle East, unseen since the 2003 conflict in Iraq, prompting widespread apprehension among Iranians regarding potential military conflict.
Last Thursday, American President Donald Trump cautioned Tehran to finalize an agreement within a period not exceeding 15 days or confront undeclared repercussions.
Digital footage shared widely online depicts students opposing the government parading across university grounds, areas typically off-limits to security personnel.
A particular video originating from Sharif University captured rival factions confronting each other across a central plaza. Students aligned with the government unfurled Iranian banners and intoned “Heydar, Heydar” — a Shia sacred allusion that adherents link to Khamenei’s authority and their resolve to safeguard him.
Opponents of the regime retorted with cries of “Hail the Shah”, referencing Reza Pahlavi, offspring of the sovereign deposed during the 1979 revolution, and who has pledged to re-enter Iran to assist its populace in a shift of governance.
Additional recordings depicted confrontations between the opposing parties.
For an extended period, Iran’s higher education institutions have functioned as epicenters for political advocacy and democratic causes.
Learners played a significant role in the 2022 “Woman, Life, Freedom” demonstrations, resulting in extensive detentions and the temporary or permanent dismissal of countless students and academic staff.
The administration of President Masoud Pezeshkian has stated that numerous students and faculty members implicated in the unrest have subsequently resumed their academic pursuits and committed to preventing a recurrence of widespread detentions. Officials habitually apprehend that disturbances on university grounds might escalate into wider public protests.
Fars, the quasi-official news outlet aligned with the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, conveyed that certain university choruses featured phrases like “demise to the despot” and monarchist declarations.
The agency indicated that a commemoration held at Sharif University was initially conceived as a tranquil event, yet asserted that “multiple individuals donning facial coverings directed the assembly toward a particular course”.
Analogous assemblies also occurred at the University of Tehran, it further stated. The outlet reported that government-supporting students raised objections to what they termed infringements of the Ramadan prohibition against public consumption of food and beverages.
Online videos depicted Amirkabir University students proclaiming: “This departed blossom is dedicated to the nation”, an allusion to individuals slain in demonstrations who have been titled “Enduring Spirits” instead of the sacred designation “martyrs”.
At Shahid Beheshti University, located in northern Tehran, learners displayed signs calling for the liberation of incarcerated peers.
In Mashhad, scholars at the regional university advocated for “liberty”.
Disagreement has grown stronger after the preceding month’s demonstrations, commencing due to financial complaints and extending to 400 localities and urban centers, based on governmental statistics. Officials report 3,117 fatalities, marking the most lethal period of civil disturbance in the nation’s contemporary era.
International human rights bodies assert a considerably greater casualty count, with Trump declaring on Friday that 32,000 demonstrators had perished. Iran’s foreign minister, Abbas Araghchi, urged the American president to furnish substantiation for the assertion.
Recently, commemorative services have been conducted to observe the fortieth day since the demise of the demonstrators — a pivotal observance in Iranian custom.
Numerous widely shared online videos show attendees of mourning rites deviated from established practices, donning white garments instead of traditional black, releasing white doves and inflatable spheres, and incorporating melodies, vocalizations, and rhythmic movements characteristic of festive occasions. During more sizable assemblages, slogans opposing the government were vociferated.
The confluence of internal turmoil and escalating foreign pressure has disturbed the Islamic republic to an unparalleled degree.
Iranian officials assert their readiness for potential hostilities, yet also affirm their pursuit of a diplomatic accord with the United States regarding their nuclear initiative, while disavowing any deliberations concerning their missile development efforts.