Students at universities across Iran staged anti-government demonstrations for a second consecutive day on February 22, chanting slogans against the Islamic Republic and Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei and calling for the restoration of the Pahlavi monarchy, according to videos and reports shared on social media.

Protests were reported at Ferdowsi University of Mashhad, Iran University of Art, Sharif University of Technology, Beheshti University, Khajeh Nasir University, Amirkabir University, University of Science and Technology, and the University of Tehran, The Caspian Post reports, citing bne IntelliNews.

At several campuses, members of the Basij paramilitary forces reportedly confronted and attacked students. Demonstrators responded with chants of “Shameless, shameless,” while footage showed smashed windows in multiple locations. The unrest comes more than a month after a previous wave of protests that reportedly left several thousand people dead.

At Sharif University of Technology, students were filmed chanting “Freedom, freedom,” “This is the last battle, Pahlavi will return,” “We fight, we die, we will take back Iran,” and “All these years of crimes, death to this regime.” Another slogan heard in videos was, “Until the mullah is shrouded, this homeland will not be a homeland.”

In a symbolic move, students at Sharif raised the Lion and Sun flag - associated with pre-revolutionary Iran - and chanted “Sharif is enough, it's called Aryamehr,” referencing the institution’s former name before the 1979 revolution. Basij-affiliated students responded with counter-chants, including “Their mourning is just an act, Pahlavi is their leader” and “Heydar Heydar,” according to videos published by Daneshjoo News Agency.

The February 22 demonstrations coincided with ceremonies marking 40 days since protesters were killed during nationwide unrest in December. The 40-day mourning period holds special significance in Shia Islamic tradition and has historically served as a catalyst for renewed demonstrations in Iran.

The protests come amid mounting external pressure on Tehran. Washington issued a 15-day ultimatum on February 21, demanding progress toward a nuclear agreement or warning of potential U.S. military action. The USS Abraham Lincoln carrier strike group is stationed in the Arabian Sea, while the USS Gerald R. Ford is reportedly heading toward the southern Mediterranean.

Analysts say the United States has not amassed such a military presence in the region since the 2003 invasion of Iraq. Meanwhile, Iran’s Foreign Ministry is engaged in last-minute diplomatic efforts aimed at reaching a deal with the administration of former U.S. President Donald Trump to prevent escalation.

Indirect nuclear negotiations between Tehran and Washington are scheduled to resume in Geneva on February 26. Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said talks are expected to move toward drafting a preliminary agreement. In a post on X late on February 22, Araghchi wrote that Iran would not yield to U.S. pressure, stating, “Curious to know why we do not capitulate? Because we are IRANIAN.”

At the same time, social media researcher Vahid, who shared footage from the Sharif protests, warned that some outlets had mistakenly circulated older videos - including one from 2017 - as if they were from the current demonstrations.

Iran has experienced repeated waves of student-led unrest since the 2022 protests sparked by the death of Mahsa Amini while in custody. University campuses have remained central hubs of dissent in the years since.