U.S.–Iran Tensions and Military Buildup

University students in Tehran and Mashhad held protests tied to 40‑day memorials for those killed in January’s unrest, with reports that security forces, including the IRGC, fired on crowds and used tear gas to disperse largely young demonstrators. Students were reported to have trampled images of Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei and chanted slogans rejecting both the clerical regime and the former Shah, while a joint student statement condemned renewed repression, some activists reported motorcycle units paraded with National Liberation Army flags, and state TV countered that attackers were "pretending to be students" amid worries about a possible U.S. strike.