Iranian women wave flags of Iran at a rally for deceased protesters.Image: keystone
February 23, 2026, 5:19 p.mFebruary 23, 2026, 5:20 p.m
What is currently happening in Iran?
In the past few hours there have been popular protests in Iran against the mullahs’ regime.
For three days, students have been protesting on the streets in front of universities against the mullahs’ regime. The new semester began at numerous Iranian universities on Saturday, with a delay of over a month. The universities initially suspended operations as a result of the mass protests at the beginning of January.
At Alsahra University in the capital Tehran, which only admits women, female students took part in protests, Iranian activists reported on Telegram. There were also new demonstrations at the renowned Sharif University of Technology and the TU Amirkabir in Tehran.
Videos on social media showed female students shouting protest slogans against the political leadership. “Death to the Islamic Republic,” could be heard on a video. “Neither Gaza nor Lebanon, my life for Iran,” the crowd shouted in another recording published by the student newsletter “Amirkabir”. This refers to the controversial support of the Iranian leadership for militant groups in the region such as Hezbollah.
A doctoral student at Sharif University, which is considered an elite university in Iran, confirmed numerous new demonstrations. He explained that political differences at the universities had also caused new tensions. At the weekend there were clashes between members of the paramilitary Basij organization and students on the campuses of some universities.
The reform-oriented Iranian newspaper “Shargh” also reported on the new student protests, which initially began on Saturday with memorial ceremonies for the demonstrators killed in the uprisings. The long closure of universities has further radicalized the political positions of supporters and opponents of the government, a master’s student told the paper. “As a result of these growing rifts, the university is no longer a safer space than the street.”
Threats and negotiations with the USA
The US has been increasing its military capabilities around Iran for several weeks. US President Donald Trump spoke of an “armada” of military forces that he has in the Middle East. Including aircraft, ships and air defense systems.
At the same time, negotiations between the USA and Iran took place last week. The talks took place on February 17th and 18th in Geneva.
Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi traveled to Switzerland for these talks and spoke with US Vice President JD Vance. He later told the television station “Fox News” that the discussions had gone well in some ways.
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi.Image: keystone
Next Thursday, February 26th, talks on the conflict in Iran will take place again in Geneva. It is still unclear who will be there and what will emerge from the discussions. It is clear that the nuclear agreement will be at the center of the talks.
How did the protests come about?
The demonstrations were triggered by an economic crisis in the country, which led to a crash in the country’s own currency, the riat. Soon, however, the demonstrators were no longer concerned with the economy, but with the general dissatisfaction in the country, which became more pronounced again.
Flags, public structures and cars were set on fire during the protests.Image: keystone
The Iranian regime’s military and security forces used force against the demonstrators. Videos and images circulated on social media and independent television channels showing security forces firing into crowds.
The leader of the mullahs’ regime Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. Image: sda
The internet was switched off across the country at several times. This was also a reaction of the regime to the protests and thus to the dissemination of videos and information from demonstrators. So they created an information blackout.
Reports from Iranians went around the world describing how brutally the demonstrators were being treated in all cities. According to reports, the protests in December and January resulted in a total of over 30,000 deaths. These figures cannot be independently verified. Security forces are also said to have arrested tens of thousands of people in around two months.
With material from sda/dpa