Iran says students must respect ‘red lines’ after protests
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Protests began in December 2025, sparked by economic woes, but soon grew into nationwide demonstrations that crested on Jan 8 and 9.
PHOTO: AFP
PARIS – Students have a right to protest but must “understand the red lines”, Iran’s government spokeswoman said on Feb 24, in the first official reaction to renewed anti-government rallies on campuses.
University students kicked off a new semester with gatherings over the weekend in which they revived slogans from nationwide protests against the country’s clerical leadership that peaked in January and were met by a deadly crackdown
On Feb 23, the third consecutive day of the campus protests
“Sacred things and the flag are two examples of these red lines that we must protect and not cross or deviate from, even at the height of anger,” government spokeswoman Fatemeh Mohajerani said on Feb 24.
She added that Iran’s students “have wounds in their hearts and have seen scenes that may upset and anger them; this anger is understandable”.
The initial wave of protests began in December 2025, sparked by economic woes in the sanctions-hit country, but soon grew into nationwide demonstrations that crested on Jan 8 and 9, posing one of the largest challenges to Iran’s leaders in years.
The unrest prompted a violent government crackdown that killed thousands of people.
The US-based Human Rights Activists News Agency has recorded more than 7,000 deaths, while warning the full toll is likely far higher.
Iranian officials acknowledge more than 3,000 deaths, but say the violence was caused by “terrorist acts” fuelled by the US and Israel.
During the protests, the government had sought to walk a line between acknowledging protesters’ legitimate economic grievances while condemning so-called “rioters”.
Ms Mohajerani on Feb 24 said a fact-finding mission is investigating “the causes and factors” of the protests and will provide reports.
US pressure
The crackdown in January prompted US President Donald Trump to threaten to intervene militarily on the protesters’ behalf, though the focus of his threats soon shifted to Iran’s contentious nuclear programme.
Since then, the US has carried out a massive military build-up in the Middle East aimed at pressuring Tehran into cutting a deal
Iran insists its nuclear programme is for civilian use, but the West believes it is aimed at building an atomic bomb.
Iran has vowed to retaliate “ferociously” against any attack from the US
Mr Trump on Feb 23 denied US media reports that the country’s top military officer, General Dan Caine, had flagged the risks of a major operation against Iran – pointing to munitions shortages and the potential for lengthy entanglement, among others.
“General Caine, like all of us, would like not to see war. But, if a decision is made on going against Iran at a military level, it is his opinion that it will be something easily won,” Mr Trump wrote on his Truth Social network. AFP
