On Tuesday, June 30, 2026, simultaneous protest rallies erupted at Azad University campuses in Tehran, Karaj, and Ahvaz. Strikingly, these demonstrations took place right in the middle of students’ final exams. This ongoing wave of protests demonstrates the undeniable dynamism of a social layer in Iran that refuses to compromise with the regime’s structural blockades and the grim status quo.

Simultaneous strikes and unyielding demands

In Tehran, students gathered in front of the central organization of Azad University on Hesarak Boulevard, marking their sixth consecutive day of protests. The courageous protesters chanted slogans such as: “Virtual education, virtual exam,” “Student, shout, cry out for your rights,” and “Until we get our rights, we won’t leave.”

Meanwhile, graduate and doctoral students in Karaj and Ahvaz rallied to protest sudden decisions forcing in-person exams, compressed schedules, and the university’s blatant disregard for poor educational infrastructure. The fact that a spark in Tehran is........

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