Full Analysis Summary
Campus protests in Iran
As Iranian universities reopened on Feb. 21, students across Tehran, Mashhad and other cities rallied in what multiple outlets described as the largest campus protests since last month's deadly crackdown.
They staged sit-ins, marches and memorial observances while chanting slogans that included "Death to Khamenei" and "Death to the dictator."
BBC-verified images and reporting described peaceful sit-ins at Shahid Beheshti and chanting at Amir Kabir, with hundreds marching at Sharif where scuffles later broke out.
Local and regional outlets likewise reported mass turnouts and confrontational slogans as campuses became a focal point for renewed dissent.
Organisers called for further protests.
Footage and eyewitness reporting from several sources showed both national flags and memorial photos carried by students during the rallies.
Coverage Differences
Tone/Size
BBC (Western Mainstream) frames the events as “the largest anti‑government demonstrations since last month’s deadly crackdown” emphasizing scale and a mix of peaceful action and scuffles, while JFeed (Other) highlights violent clashes with Basij and security forces and worldisraelnews (Other) stresses reports of exits being blocked and detentions — contrasting portrayals of whether campus actions were mainly peaceful or primarily confrontational. Each source is reporting on the same campus reopenings but frames the events differently: BBC reports verified peaceful sit‑ins and later scuffles; JFeed reports clashes and Basij involvement; worldisraelnews quotes state-linked agencies about disruptions.
Mourning-linked campus rallies
The rallies coincided with 40‑day mourning ceremonies for those killed in January’s nationwide protests.
Many students explicitly linked their actions to memorial observances, and outlets reported students carrying memorial photos, holding vigils and using mourning anniversaries as mobilising moments.
Al Jazeera and PBS described the 40‑day memorial context as central to the campus mobilisations, noting that students broke expected norms at mourning events and that the government has resisted independent international inquiries into the January killings while maintaining internet restrictions.
Coverage Differences
Context Framing
Al Jazeera (West Asian) emphasises how pro‑state students accused opponents of ‘celebrating deaths’ at 40‑day events and notes the Iranian government's refusal of an independent UN fact‑finding mission; PBS (Western Mainstream) foregrounds the use of 40‑day memorials as settings for new protests and highlights differing casualty figures from HRANA and official tallies. Sources are reporting on the same memorialised dates but attribute different emphases — Al Jazeera stresses state narratives about external backing and portrays pro‑state counter‑rallies, while PBS focuses on memorials as a continued opposition catalyst.
Death-Toll Reporting
Sources report divergent casualty tallies and attribute them to different reporting bodies: Al Jazeera lists authorities’ figure of 3,117 and cites range estimates including HRANA, a UN rapporteur and a claim by Donald Trump; PBS and BBC present HRANA and HRANA‑adjacent figures (7,015 or 6,159) versus Iran’s roughly 3,100 count. The sources report these numbers as claims by different agencies rather than asserting a single verified toll.
Conflicting reports on protests
Reports diverge sharply on the degree of state force used and the nature of clashes.
Some outlets — including worldisraelnews and JFeed — reported security forces and Basij militia blocking exits, detaining demonstrators and directly engaging students.
By contrast, BBC and PBS documented peaceful sit‑ins and chanting in many locations, with scuffles breaking out in specific places such as Sharif University.
The NCRI and other exile or activist sources described Basij attacks on student gatherings and explicit anti‑regime confrontations.
These varying accounts contradict each other on whether demonstrations were largely peaceful or met with force, producing a picture that differs across local, state-linked and overseas reporting.
Coverage Differences
Security Response
worldisraelnews (Other) and JFeed (Other) report that security forces blocked exits, detained demonstrators and that Basij were involved in violent clashes; BBC (Western Mainstream) reports verified peaceful sit‑ins with scuffles later at particular campuses; NCRI (Other/activist) reports Basij attacks. These differences reflect source alignment and access: state‑linked agencies and pro‑regime outlets emphasise disruptions and illegal acts, exile/activist sources highlight Basij repression, and international mainstream outlets detail both peaceful protests and isolated clashes.
Student protests coverage
Students' grievances reported across outlets included renewed campus morality policing, new surveillance systems, high inflation and unemployment, and the detention of activists.
These themes were framed variously as economic and social protests or as explicitly anti-regime actions.
The Daily Jagran emphasised morality policing, surveillance and economic grievances, with protesters carrying signs such as "We study for a future that does not exist."
JFeed and NCRI highlighted anti-regime and even pro-monarchy slogans.
BBC and The Indian Express linked the student actions to broader nationwide unrest that critics say is the biggest challenge to the government since 1979.
Coverage Differences
Issue Focus
The Daily Jagran (Other/Asian) foregrounds campus morality policing, surveillance systems and economic grievances; JFeed (Other) and NCRI (Other/activist) foreground anti‑regime slogans including calls against the Velayat‑e Faqih and even pro‑monarchy lines; BBC (Western Mainstream) and The Indian Express (Asian) situate the campus unrest within a larger national uprising. Each source selectively highlights elements—social policy, economic hardship, or regime opposition—shaping readers’ sense of student motivations.
Campus unrest and diplomacy
The campus unrest unfolded amid international tensions and parallel diplomatic developments.
Several outlets reported U.S. and Iranian delegations meeting in Switzerland, with talks described as making progress even as the U.S. military posture in the region was reported to have been strengthened.
BBC and The Indian Express noted U.S. officials' warnings and President Trump's comments about possible limited strikes.
Al Jazeera highlighted Tehran's repeated claims that foreign states backed "terrorists" and the regime's rejection of outside probes.
The reports show how domestic unrest and international diplomacy were reported as intertwined but framed differently across outlets.
Coverage Differences
International Framing
BBC (Western Mainstream) and The Indian Express (Asian) emphasise U.S. pressure, possible strikes and diplomatic talks in Switzerland — reporting that President Trump said he might order a limited strike — while Al Jazeera (West Asian) stresses Tehran’s narrative blaming foreign backing for the unrest and the regime’s refusal of UN investigation. Sources thus either foreground external military/diplomatic options or the government’s portrayal of external interference.