Iran International
Students across Iran have described tighter surveillance, restrictions on gatherings and pressure to participate in military and ideological activities, with some facing threats of expulsion or police referral, according to accounts received by Iran International.
The messages from schools in several cities describe compulsory displays of images of Iran's Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei, increased classroom monitoring, enforcement of mandatory hijab rules and the presence of Basij forces.
Students at a school in Dezful were ordered to pose for photographs with two banners depicting Ali Khamenei, Iran's slain former ruler, and warned they could be expelled or referred to police if they refused, a student told Iran International.
In Marvdasht, education department officials visited a school on November 1 to inspect compliance with mandatory hijab rules, according to another student.
Students who failed to observe the dress code would be expelled, the school's principal warned, the student said.
A student in Tehran also described compulsory Quran recitations, saying school authorities had warned that those who refused would receive failing grades in core subjects.
Other accounts described the presence of Basij forces and plans for military exercises on school grounds.
Students at a school in Alborz province were informed that a missile launcher would be brought into the schoolyard and armed forces personnel would conduct a military drill, one student said.
In Lorestan province, students at a school for gifted children were taken to apro-establishment rally on October 28 without their parents being informed in advance, according to a family.
Iran International earlier reported that students in six provinces had faced pressure to participate in Jan-Fada (Self-Sacrifice), a system-backed initiative involving military training and mobilization activities. Some students were warned of expulsion or consequences for their parents if they refused to take part.
Basij members visiting another school instructed students to stay out of politics, according to a student who described the exchange.
"How can we stay out of politics when we have lost more than 40,000 brothers and sisters?" the student said in response.
Another citizen described seeing a group of students on the streets wearing camouflage uniforms and military-style scarves and carrying batons.
Military equipment and activities in schools have featured in earlier accounts received by Iran International.
Based on earlier reports, students at some schools had been given identification tags or instructed to obtain and wear them.
Other accounts described armed personnel and military vehicles entering schools and children receiving weapons training.
The Education Ministry's spokesperson denied reports of military identification tags being issued to students on October 23, saying school principals were not permitted to announce measures that could cause concern among families.
Surveillance cameras in classrooms at a public high school in Tehran's District 19 doubled on October 28, according to a student.
Previously, a single camera had been installed at the front of each classroom facing students. Another camera has since been added behind them, the student said.
In Gonbad-e Kavus, northern Iran, school officials prohibited students from gathering in groups of more than two, according to another account.
The restrictions follow similar measures documented in an earlier report, when students from several cities described classroom cameras, audio recording, searches of personal belongings and clothing inspections.
Another student described armed officers accompanying a school excursion to a park and repeatedly instructing high school girls to comply with hijab requirements and wear their headscarves properly.
A University of Tehran doctoral student reportedly attempted self-immolation outside a university building after repeated disciplinary summonses and security pressure, the student-run Tehran-Daneshjoo channel said Sunday.
The channel identified him as Shahin Shokouhi, a sociology PhD candidate, and said the incident occurred around midday outside the Foolad building on 16 Azar Street. He was taken for medical treatment, but his condition remained unknown.
The account said Shokouhi had been repeatedly summoned before university disciplinary authorities and pressured by security agencies outside the campus.
The channel said he continued to face questioning and security pressure despite his injuries, and expressed concern that he could be detained or face legal proceedings before completing treatment.
Shokouhi had previously been detained during protests at the university on December 30, 2025. According to Scholars at Risk, he and four other students arrested that day were all released later the same day.
A growing record of pressure on students
The Foolad building had already appeared in student accounts of security pressure. In October, Tehran-Daneshjoo reported increased summonses to university security offices there, on 16 Azar Street.
Some students described threats and humiliation during questioning. The channel said Intelligence Ministry personnel attended certain meetings and confronted students with information about their private lives.
The pressure extends beyond summonses. In May, University of Tehran polymer engineering student Amir Mohammad Karimi received a two-semester suspension after a disciplinary hearing conducted in his absence while he was detained, according to Scholars at Risk.
The Center for Human Rights in Iran reported that seven students at Sharif University of Technology faced preliminary expulsion orders in June over social media activity and cases linked to the nation-wide January protests. Three students at Tehran's Khajeh Nasir University of Technology had two-semester suspensions upheld in July.
In February, Tehran-Daneshjoo, citing the newspaper Shargh, reported that at least 180 students at universities in Tehran had received disciplinary summonses by text message, while more than 60 others had been barred from campus through telephone notifications.
An April gathering in Mashhad offers another example. Security agents detained students who had met with a former teacher, according to the Middle East Studies Association. Four faced national security charges, including University of Tehran literature student Mohammad Parsa Golchin.
An earlier tragedy in Ahvaz
In November 2025, Ahmad Baledi, a 20-year-old in Ahvaz, died after setting himself on fire during a confrontation over the demolition of his family's food kiosk. President Masoud Pezeshkian ordered an investigation, and local officials faced disciplinary and legal action.
His death recalled the Tunisian street vendor Mohamed Bouazizi whose self-immolation in December 2010 preceded mass demonstrations that forced President Zine El Abidine Ben Ali from power.
Shokouhi’s condition remained unknown as of Sunday. Tehran-Daneshjoo said it had received no update from university authorities.
Iranian authorities have seized assets of a private Tehran art and design school’s founder and begun confiscation proceedings, an IRGC-affiliated outlet reported, alleging he had insulted Shiite Muslims and spread anti-Islamic Republic propaganda on social media.
The report by Fars News concerned Alireza Ordoubadi, founder of Inverse School, and posts on his personal accounts.
It came a day after the school said authorities had frozen all its bank accounts and payment systems, blocked its website and seized its property, forcing it to suspend registration and sales of new courses.
Students who had already purchased courses would retain access to educational materials and support services, the school said.
Ordoubadi said the institution had never engaged in political activities and was being targeted because of his personal views, with the measures affecting its employees, instructors and students.
"The people of Iran have the right to think freely, make choices, protest and decide their own future. I will not ask anyone's permission to say this," he wrote in a statement published on the school's Instagram account.
"Their issue is with me, and they're making the school and its people pay the price," he wrote.
Founded in 2008, Inverse provides training in graphic design, animation, fashion, programming and other creative and digital skills. Ordoubadi said more than 70,000 people had studied at the institution over its 18 years of operation.
He said the school had lost students aboard Ukraine International Airlines Flight PS752 in January 2020, seen others imprisoned during the 2022 Woman, Life, Freedom protests, and lost two more students, whom he identified only by their first names, Amirali and Sima, during the latest nationwide protests.
"If the price I must pay for standing alongside these people is losing these 18 years, then I am willing to sacrifice those 18 years for Iran," he wrote.
Paying tribute to protesters killed during successive waves of anti-government demonstrations in Iran, from the 2009 and 2022 uprisings to the latest nationwide protests in December 2025 and January 2026, he added:
"This country belongs to Neda Agha-Soltan, Nika and Sarina, Hamidreza Rouhi, Majidreza Rahnavard, Sadra Soltani, Sepehr Shokri, Hamid Mahdavi and thousands of honourable people who gave their lives for its freedom. It belongs to their families and all those who continue to live with so much grief and deserve a future. My place is alongside these people."
"Seizure is your decision, and continuing is ours. And we will continue," he wrote.
The action comes amid a series of asset seizures involving Iranian public figures and supporters of anti-government protests.
On Tuesday, the lawyer for award-winning filmmaker Jafar Panahi said his client had been sentenced in absentia to five years and one month in prison and ordered to forfeit all his assets.
Earlier, authorities in the city of Qom announced the seizure of property and cryptocurrencies belonging to businessman Sadegh Saedinia, who supported nationwide anti-government protests in January.
Public schools across Iran are demanding payments from parents for basic supplies, utility bills and repairs, with some withholding report cards or pressuring students to secure the money, according to accounts sent to Iran International.
Parents responding to an inquiry described repeated requests for payments ranging from stationery and cleaning products to multimillion-rial fees, despite government assurances that contributions to public schools must be voluntary.
"Only teachers' salaries are left for them to collect from parents," one parent wrote after being asked to contribute money for paper.
The accounts contrast with Education Minister Alireza Kazemi's September 20 announcement that public schools were prohibited from charging families for enrollment or the start of the academic year.
Financial contributions from parents must be entirely voluntary, Kazemi said.
Parents asked to cover utility bills and cleaning supplies
Families described being required to cover routine school expenses, including water, electricity, gas, cleaning supplies and equipment repairs.
"The government provides no assistance to schools," several respondents wrote in messages.
At a school meeting in early October, parents were told the government had no budget and public schools would have to operate with financial support from families, one parent said.
The school subsequently presented a list of monthly expenses covering water, electricity, drinking-water facilities, cleaning, heating and cooling equipment.
At another school, parents were asked to pay 2.5 million rials each to purchase paper.
Other families described requests for money to buy whiteboard markers, light bulbs, A4 paper, garbage bags and even to repair a broken classroom door.
One mother said her child's school demanded money for hand soap despite toilets being so dirty and unusable that her child avoided using them throughout the five-hour school day.
Parents have also been asked to purchase materials for basic science experiments because schools lack adequate laboratory equipment, according to another account.
Some schools have sought contributions for government and religious ceremonies, requesting money and sweets from families.
Voluntary contributions become compulsory payments
Some families described payments equivalent to tuition fees at public schools, even though the schools are not permitted to charge compulsory enrollment fees.
One parent said their child's public school collected 50 million rials despite having virtually no facilities.
Iran's minimum monthly wage was set at 166 million rials for 2026, equivalent to about $61 at an exchange rate of 2.72 million rials to the dollar.
Another described a public school with approximately 300 students attending in two shifts that collected between 17 million and 20 million rials from each student, regardless of the family's financial circumstances.
Examination paper costs were charged separately, the parent said.
Several parents said schools refused to release students' report cards until additional payments were made.
The accounts contradict the education ministry's position that contributions must be optional.
Government funding shortages should not result in financial pressure on families, Akbar Pouladi, a member of parliament's education committee, said on August 26, criticizing compulsory payments at some schools.
In some cases, families said enrollment or the distribution of textbooks was conditional on payment.
Higher payments, inadequate facilities
Despite the growing financial demands, some parents said school conditions had not improved.
Nearly two months into the academic year, one parent said their child's school still lacked a proper door, whiteboard, curtains and enough desks, even though families were being charged to cover operating expenses.
A teacher said the school where they worked had relied on parental contributions for years.
At the beginning of each academic year, administrators told parents that without their financial support, the school could not remain operational, the teacher said.
People across Iran say they are struggling to afford food, clothing and rent, while others face unpaid wages and falling business sales, according to messages sent to Iran International as year-on-year inflation hit 88.7% in October.
Messages describe mounting financial pressures on workers, pensioners, students, single mothers and small business owners, with some unable to meet basic needs and others facing unpaid wages and declining sales.
"I went to buy a piece of flat bread. All I got was a piece the size of my palm for 400,000 rials. I don't know how we're supposed to live," one resident wrote.
Iran's minimum monthly wage for 2026 was set at approximately 166 million rials ($61 at the current exchange rate of 2.72 million rials per US dollar).
A pensioner said their monthly income was insufficient to cover even 10 days of living expenses, illustrating the widening gap between household earnings and everyday costs.
Iran's annual inflation rate reached 76.8% in October, with prices rising 4.4% from the previous month, according to figures released by the Statistical Center of Iran.
The 88.7% year-on-year inflation rate means households had to spend an average of 88.7% more than in October 2025 to purchase the same basket of goods and services.
Food prices hit small businesses
Rising food prices have affected not only consumers but also small businesses facing a sharp decline in demand.
"Before the war, I used to sell 70 chickens every day, but because of rising prices, daily sales have dropped to 12," the owner of a poultry and egg shop in Tabriz told Iran International.
The decline represents an approximately 83% reduction in the number of chickens sold daily, reflecting the impact of inflation and weakened consumer purchasing power.
Families struggle with school and clothing costs
The rising cost of education has added to the financial burden on families, with students describing difficulties obtaining basic school supplies.
"I need stationery to study, but prices have risen so much that I can't even afford a notebook," one student wrote to Iran International.
Education recorded the highest monthly price increase among major household expenditure categories in October, rising 23.5%, according to the Statistical Center of Iran.
A mother in Mashhad said she visited a discount clothing store to buy warm clothes for her daughter but found that a hoodie and trousers cost 35 million rials ($13).
Unpaid wages compound housing pressures
Alongside inflation, delayed salary payments have deepened financial difficulties for workers already struggling with rent and family expenses.
An employee of Atlas Air said outstanding wages had not been paid, leaving the family struggling to meet its financial obligations.
"We are tenants, and we also cover the expenses of our family and our parents," the employee wrote to Iran International.
A woman who heads her household and works in the oil industry's healthcare sector said her salary had not been paid by October 29. Officials attributed the delay to a shortage of funds, she added.
Economic hardship has intensified alongside currency depreciation, inflation and declining purchasing power, while the Islamic Republic continues to pursue a confrontational foreign policy, particularly toward the United States and Israel.
Self-immolation accounts for about 16% of burn hospitalizations in Iran, with women and young people making up a significant share of victims and mortality rates reaching 62%, the head of the country's burn association said on Sunday.
The figures come from an analysis of 39 studies conducted across Iran, which estimated the incidence of self-immolation at approximately 4.5 cases per 100,000 people, Hamid Salehi, head of the Iranian Burn Association, told the ILNA news agency.
"Self-immolation is not merely a medical issue, but a social and public health problem that requires cooperation between the healthcare system, psychiatrists, psychologists, social workers and institutions responsible for preventing social harm," Salehi said.
The research found that people who attempted self-immolation suffered burns covering an average of 65% of their bodies, with approximately 62% dying after hospitalization.
Salehi described the severity of injuries and death rates as deeply concerning, particularly given the substantial proportion of women and young people among those affected.
The findings were based on previous studies, and an accurate assessment of the present situation would require a comprehensive and up-to-date national registry, Salehi added.
Economic pressures and mental health concerns
The figures come as worsening economic, political and social crises in Iran have heightened concerns about the psychological pressures facing the population.
Iranian society is approaching an emergency in mental health and social welfare, with uncertainty stemming from the country's prolonged state of neither war nor peace placing severe pressure on citizens, Alireza Aghayousefi, head of Iran's Psychology and Counseling Organization, warned on October 25.
A person seeking welfare assistance set themselves on fire in protest against a medical committee's decision, Alireza Vahidzadeh, head of the Welfare Organization in Kerman province, said on October 28.
In August, human rights news agency HRANA reported that Souma Moghaddami, an 18-year-old woman from Piranshahr who had been subjected to child marriage, died in hospital from injuries sustained after setting herself on fire.
The cases add to concerns about self-immolation as a form of self-harm linked to wider social and psychological distress.
Acid attacks leave lasting physical and psychological injuries
Chemical burns account for approximately 3% of burn-related hospital visits and admissions in Iran, Salehi said.
Some result from accidents at home or in workplaces, while others stem from deliberate acid attacks and interpersonal violence.
Research conducted in Shiraz found that intentional acid attacks accounted for approximately 29% of chemical burn cases, according to Salehi.
"Although acid attacks are less common than other causes of burns, they are particularly significant because of the severity of physical injuries, permanent disfigurement, facial damage, and psychological and social consequences," Salehi said.
Victims can face years of reconstructive surgery, substantial medical expenses, unemployment and social exclusion.
New acid attack cases continue to be referred to support organizations, while survivors and their families struggle with the long-term consequences of such violence, the Shargh newspaper reported in a September 23 investigation titled Unfinished Wounds.
The report described how the financial and psychological consequences of acid attacks can transform the lives of victims and their families long after the initial injuries.
Sanctions and inflation hamper burn treatment
Sanctions, inflation and rising prices have made it increasingly difficult for Iranian medical facilities to obtain essential burn treatment supplies, Salehi said.
Specialized burn dressings, medical equipment and certain medications, including antibiotics, have become harder to procure, with shortages and purchasing difficulties worsening over the past year.
The problems add pressure to a healthcare system treating patients who often require extensive medical intervention, prolonged hospitalization and rehabilitation.
Mental health specialists recommend encouraging anyone showing signs of depression or suicidal thoughts to seek support from a trusted healthcare professional, support organization or someone they trust.
