A new wave of protests has erupted in three of Iran’s largest universities, marking 40 days since the deaths of demonstrators in earlier unrest. The renewed demonstrations signal that despite arrests, intimidation and crackdowns, student activism remains alive and determined.
Sugand Fakhari, a Tehran-born analyst and head of the Persian media department at the Jerusalem Center for Security and Foreign Affairs, says she remains in direct contact with young Iranians. “I spoke to them today,” she said. “They are waiting for help that is on the way. They are waiting for an American strike – and they believe Israel will stand by them.”
According to Fakhari, disappointment after the previous round of unrest ran deep. “They relied heavily on messages from Israel and the West,” she explained. “They were also the only people in the region who stood with Israelis after October 7, and it was difficult for them to feel abandoned.”
Still, she stresses that morale has not collapsed. “The revolution has already happened internally,” she said. “Now they are waiting for the moment when reality changes as well.”