Iran protests surge at universities amid ongoing nuclear talks

Anti-government protests are resurging in Iran, with videos showing students chanting slogans against the regime as nuclear negotiations with the United States are set to resume on Thursday.

A video translated by Reuters shows protesters shouting “We will fight, we will die, we will take Iran back”, reflecting growing anger at the country’s leaders.

The renewed unrest follows months of frustration over economic hardship, repression and previous crackdowns, putting additional domestic pressure on the regime as negotiations unfold. Analysts say the convergence of protests at home, military pressure abroad and deadlock over diplomacy have hardened rhetoric on both sides rather than pushing them toward compromise.

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Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) soldiers in western Tehran, Iran (Morteza Nikoubazl/NurPhoto via Getty Images)

The Iranian regime, for its part, adopts a tone of defiance. President Masoud Pezeshkian said Tehran “will not give in” to pressure over nuclear negotiations, warning that external coercion would not change Iran’s position, according to Al Jazeera.

His remarks come ahead of a new round of US-Iran talks scheduled for Thursday in Geneva, confirmed by Oman, which is mediating the discussions. The negotiations aim to address Tehran’s nuclear program amid growing regional tensions, although major disputes remain over limits on enrichment, sanctions relief and the scope of any deal.

In a February speech analyzed by the Foundation for Defense of Democracies, Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei ruled out abandoning uranium enrichment and rejected U.S. demands to include Iran’s ballistic missile program and regional proxy activities in negotiations.

The analysis, authored by FDD analyst Janatan Sayeh and Behnam Ben Taleblu, senior director of the Iran program, notes that Khamenei has intensified his attacks on Washington’s leaders, calling President Donald Trump a “criminal” for supporting the Iranian protests and circulating rhetoric comparing him to a tyrant.

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The exercise to assess readiness and rehearse responses to security threats constitutes the second round of negotiations. (Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Press Office/Handout/Anadolu via Getty Images)

Meanwhile, the United States has expanded its military presence in the Middle East, while the use of force remains an option. The deployments have shaped both the tone and urgency of the negotiations, reinforcing that diplomacy is taking place in the shadow of potential escalation.

Special envoy Steve Witkoff warned Saturday that Iran could be “a week away” from having “industrial-grade material to make bombs,” citing enrichment levels that he said are approaching that of military capability.

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Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei addresses the public on the 47th anniversary of the Iranian Revolution, according to Iranian state television in Tehran, Iran, February 9, 2026. (Iranian Leader’s Press Office/Anadolu via Getty Images)

“It’s up to 60%,” Witkoff said. “They’ll probably be a week away from having industrial-grade bomb-making equipment.” He made the remarks on “My Take with Lara Trump,” calling the situation dangerous and accusing Iran of violating President Trump’s “zero enrichment” red line.

U.S. officials have warned that failure to reach a deal could have serious consequences, while Tehran has indicated it is prepared to retaliate if attacked, reinforcing the sense that the negotiations are taking place under intense pressure.

Reuters contributed to this report.