Interior ministry frames protests as test of social cohesion

Protesters in several Iranian cities chanted a range of political slogans on Tuesday night, according to videos received by Iran International.

Footage showed protesters in the western city of Hamadan chanting “Javid Shah,” a slogan associated with Iran’s former monarchy.

In Arak, demonstrators were heard chanting “This is the final battle, Pahlavi will return,” invoking the name of the former ruling dynasty that was overthrown in 1979.

Separately, video from Sabzevar in northeastern Iran showed protesters chanting “After all these years of crimes, death to this rule,” a slogan directly targeting the clerical system.

Iran’s prosecutor general said on Wednesday that any attempt to turn economic protests into insecurity or damage to public property would be met with a “legal, proportionate and decisive” response, as demonstrations continued across Iran.

Mohammad Movahedi-Azad said peaceful livelihood protests were understandable and should be addressed through legal channels.

But he warned against what he described as organized exploitation of legitimate demands.

“What we cannot be indifferent to is structured misuse of these legitimate demands,” he said, referring to “directed media networks, distorted narratives, and the use of deceived individuals or those who disrupt public order.”

Movahedi-Azad said efforts to convert protests into public disorder, property damage, or scenarios designed from outside the country would trigger a firm legal response.

Iranian security forces were deployed in the city of Karaj on Wednesday, with videos showing officers stationed under the Azadegan Bridge amid reports of a heavy security atmosphere.

Footage sent to Iran International showed security personnel gathered beneath the bridge, a major traffic artery linking parts of the city.

Two major universities in Tehran said on Wednesday they would hold classes online until the end of the current semester, as protests and strikes expanded across Iran, citing cold weather and energy imbalances.

Allameh Tabataba’i University and Shahid Beheshti University announced that in-person classes would be suspended through the remainder of the 1404–1405 first semester.

The Education Ministry’s deputy said the decision was taken “due to cold weather and problems caused by energy shortages, and in order to ensure student welfare.”

The announcement came as universities have emerged as focal points of protest activity, with student demonstrations reported across Tehran over the past several days.

US Department of State on Tuesday shared a video of protesting students at a University in Tehran, saying “The future of Iran belongs to its youth.”

“University students across Iran are demanding their fundamental rights, even as security forces regularly confront them with intimidation and violence,” the State Department’s Persian account posted on X.​

“These students represent some of the most educated and talented individuals in the country, but due to the failed policies of the Islamic Republic regime and its disregard for the basic rights of citizens, they have been deprived of the opportunity to build a good life,” the post added. “The future of Iran belongs to its youth.”