By Eric Vandenbroeck and co-workers

Iranian students stage first large anti-government protests

Students at several universities in Iran have staged anti-government protests - the first such rallies on this scale since January's deadly crackdown by the authorities.

It has been verified footage of demonstrators marching on the campus of the Sharif University of Technology in the capital Tehran on Saturday. They were later seen scuffling with government supporters.

Protests were also reported at other universities in Tehran and elsewhere - with students gathering to honor thousands of those killed by authorities last month.

The US and its European allies suspect that Iran is moving towards the development of a nuclear weapon, something Iran has always denied.

US and Iranian officials met in Switzerland on Tuesday and said progress had been made in talks aimed at curbing Iran's nuclear programme.

But despite the reported progress, Trump said afterwards that the world would find out "over the next, probably, 10 days" whether a deal would be reached with Iran or the US would take military action.

The US leader has supported protesters in the past - at one stage appearing to encourage them with a promise that "help is on its way".

Footage verified by the BBC shows hundreds of protesters peacefully marching on the campus of the Sharif University of Technology at the start of a new semester on Saturday.

The crowds chanted "death to the dictator" - a reference to Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei - and other anti-government slogans.

A separate crowd of supporters of a rival pro-government rally - many with national Iranian flags - is seen nearby at the beginning of the video. Scuffles are later seen breaking out between the two camps.

Verified photos have also emerged showing a peaceful sit-in protest at the capital's Shahid Beheshti University.

Tehran University and Amir Kabir University of Technology are showing chanting against the government.

In Mashhad, Iran's second-largest city in the north-east, local students reportedly chanted: "Freedom, freedom" and "Students, shout, shout for your rights".

It is not immediately clear whether any demonstrators have been arrested.

There have been reports of protests continuing on Sunday.

January's protests began over economic grievances and soon spread to become Iran's largest since the 1979 Islamic Revolution.

The US-based Human Rights Activists News Agency (Hrana) said it had confirmed the killing of at least 7,015 people during that wave, including 6,508 protesters, 226 children and 214 people affiliated with the government. The latest figures were updated on 15 February.

Hrana also said it was investigating 11,744 more reported deaths.

Iranian authorities said late last month that more than 3,100 people had been killed - but that the majority were security personnel or bystanders attacked by "rioters".

With Trump's threats looming, Iranian authorities are continuing to prepare for possible conflict with the US.

US envoy Steve Witkoff said on Saturday that Trump was questioning why Iran had not "capitulated" in the face of Washington's military build-up.

Witkoff said that the president was "curious" about Iran's position after he had warned them of severe consequences in the event they failed to strike a deal.

"I don't want to use the word 'frustrated,' because he understands he has plenty of alternatives, but he's curious as to why they haven't... I don't want to use the word 'capitulated,' but why haven't they capitulated," he said.

The exiled opposition is adamantly calling on President Trump to make good on his threats and strike, hoping for a quick downfall of the current hardline government.

But other opposition groups are opposed to outside intervention.

The opposing sides have been involved in disinformation campaigns on social media, trying to maximize their conflicting narratives of what the Iranian people want.

 

 

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