Iranian students protest tuition hikes and compulsory hijab

Students at several Iranian universities have launched protests during the start of the new academic year, citing tuition increases, poor living conditions, and the enforcement of compulsory hijab laws. At Allameh University in Tehran, demonstrators gathered to protest rising costs, inadequate dormitory facilities, and food quality, while also chanting against the mandatory hijab and economic inflation.

In response to unrest, authorities have intensified crackdowns on academic institutions. At Alzahra University, approximately 150 students were reportedly barred from entering the campus without formal disciplinary rulings. Other reports indicate students at Lorestan University went on strike over food quality, and similar protests occurred in Kermanshah.

The Ministry of Science has issued new guidelines titled ‘Guide to Academic Decorum, Ethics, and Conduct,’ which mandates strict adherence to government-approved dress codes for both men and women on campus. Additionally, legal and academic figures face repercussions; Ali Alirezaei, a student at Sharif University, was sentenced to four years in prison, and Hamid Rahmani Manshadi, a law professor at Yazd University, was reportedly detained following his public criticism of judicial corruption.