Iranian Opposition Figure Says University Protests Signal Growing Challenge to Tehran

Alireza Jafarzadeh, deputy director of the Washington office of the National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI), said a new wave of protests at Iranian universities and in the capital, Tehran, reflects what he described as a decisive stage toward political change in Iran.

Jafarzadeh said clashes reported at universities in Tehran and Mashhad during commemorations marking 40 days since victims of earlier protests demonstrate the persistence of anti-government sentiment. He accused authorities of responding with excessive force, including the use of live ammunition and tear gas, which he said indicated official concern over the growing unrest.

He pointed to demonstrations at several universities, including the University of Tehran and Alzahra University, where students reportedly chanted anti-government slogans. According to Jafarzadeh, protests also took place at technical and regional universities, where demonstrators removed or damaged symbols associated with the political leadership.

Jafarzadeh said the protests reflect a broader rejection of both Iran’s current political system and the country’s former monarchy, citing the slogan “No Shah, No Mullah” as evidence of opposition to all forms of authoritarian rule.

He added that the protests demonstrate what he described as the political awareness of a younger generation seeking democratic change without foreign intervention. He said opposition activists in Tehran neighborhoods and major streets continue to organize demonstrations despite security pressure.

Jafarzadeh also endorsed a political platform proposed by Maryam Rajavi, which he described as a roadmap for establishing a democratic and pluralistic political system in Iran.

He accused Iranian state media of misrepresenting events and said ongoing clashes indicate that the current political system is facing mounting pressure. Jafarzadeh called for the dissolution of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps and the establishment of a democratic republic.

The Iranian opposition figure urged the international community to end what he described as a policy of appeasement and to recognize what he said is the Iranian people’s right to resist the government and pursue political change.