Protests Return to Iran Universities Amid New Academic Year

As Iran’s new academic year commenced over the weekend, protests surged across several universities — the first sustained campus unrest since the clerical regime’s bloody nationwide crackdown. More than 7,000 people have been confirmed killed and more than 11,000 still remain missing. The latest protests began on Saturday, openly challenging the government to suppress dissent once again — even as the death toll from the earlier wave of violence remains unconfirmed, with tens of thousands feared dead.

CBS News intercepted a message from an anti-government protester in Tehran who described her experiences and sentiments during the unrest. She recounted how Iranian universities have witnessed both pro-regime demonstrations and violent clashes between opposing groups. Her voice was strong yet subdued: “They are not stupid; they are brave,” she said, referring to the protesters chanting slogans like “Javid Shah.” The phrase signifies support for Iran’s last monarch, Mohammed Reza Pahlavi, who was deposed in 1979 during the Islamic Revolution.

Pro-Monarchist Voices Stirring

The protester spoke about a vocal monarchist movement advocating for her son’s leadership should Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and the clerical establishment fall. She felt deeply conflicted but compelled to continue fighting: “I am so ashamed; I want my grief to be a voice for my people.” The protestor cited seeing dead bodies in Tehran last month as evidence of the regime’s brutality.

“We fear our most, that this regime will come back,” she said, her resolve unwavering. “We must keep protesting and fighting until then.”

The protester’s plea resonates with widespread public sentiment. Iran’s universities have seen violent clashes between pro-regime and anti-government demonstrators. As they continue to protest, the government remains silent.

On a different front, international tension escalated as President Trump prepares for his State of the Union address on Tuesday night. CBS News reported that the most advanced U.S. aircraft carrier, the USS Gerald R. Ford, had just sailed through the Strait of Gibraltar and into the Mediterranean Sea, joining forces with the Abraham Lincoln Carrier Strike Group in what officials described as the largest military buildup since 2003.

This move by the United States has sparked hope among protesters who believe a U.S. military intervention is the only way to bring down the regime. “I want from God to begin a war in here,” she said, though her opinion is not typical of most demonstrators. She dismissed Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi as a “terrorist” and called for immediate U.S. help.

The next round of indirect talks between Iran and Omani mediators are set for Thursday in Geneva. The protestor expressed hope that President Trump would have something positive to say about her cause, while also underscoring the urgency of their situation: “I want from God to begin a war in here. I’m not a person of war interest but in this situation, we don’t have any other chance.”

In this moment of global tension and internal upheaval, the protester’s voice echoes through Iran, resonating with millions who fear for their future under the current regime.