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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.”
Demonstrations across Iran, initially sparked by economic hardship and the sharp fall of the national currency, continued for a third day on Tuesday, drawing in university students as authorities deployed force and made multiple arrests.
Protests spread across Iran on Tuesday, with universities and commercial districts emerging as key hubs amid a widening strike by shopkeepers in Tehran and other cities.
Human rights and student groups said at least 11 protesters were arrested near Tehran’s Shoush Square.
Five students were also detained at universities in the capital, four of whom were later released.
Student outlets reported that one student at Tehran’s Amirkabir University was severely injured during a campus crackdown after members of the Basij militia of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps attacked their gathering.
Videos circulating on social media showed students chanting anti-government slogans, dismantling signs linked to the office of the Supreme Leader’s representatives and confronting security forces at campus gates.
In some clips, officers appeared to retreat as crowds advanced; in others, security forces were seen firing tear gas and, in several locations, shooting toward demonstrators.
The protests coincided with the government’s announcement that public offices would close in nearly 25 provinces, including the capital on Wednesday - a move officials said was necessary to conserve energy amid a severe cold snap. However, online weather data showed no significant drop in temperatures.
The unrest began Sunday after shopkeepers in several Tehran malls and later the Grand Bazaar launched a strike in response to the rial hitting a record low against the US dollar.
Since then, videos verified by Iran International have documented protests in Tehran, Karaj, Qeshm Island, Isfahan, Kermanshah, Shiraz, Yazd, Kerman and several other cities.
Government spokeswoman Fatemeh Mohajerani acknowledged widespread frustration, saying the protests reflected “intense economic pressure” and that peaceful assembly is recognized under Iran’s constitution.
President Masoud Pezeshkian said he instructed the interior minister to engage in dialogue with representatives of the demonstrators to hear their “legitimate” demands. He later attended a meeting with a handpicked group of trade officials on Tuesday.
Heavy security deployments were reported in Tehran, Mashhad, and Kermanshah, with residents describing checkpoints, constant patrols, and the presence of both uniformed and plainclothes officers.
In Hamadan, footage appeared to show security forces opening fire toward protesters, while riot police in Tehran and the nearby city of Malard used tear gas to disperse crowds.
Demonstrations were held on Tuesday night in several parts of Iran, and are expected to continue into a fourth day, with more Iranian businesses announcing on social media that they will close in solidarity with the movement.
