Iran officials probe killing of student which sparked protests

16/2/2025 6:15

Iranian authorities have ordered an investigation into the fatal stabbing of a university student during a robbery, state media reported on Saturday, as

the incident sparked protests at Tehran University.



Facing public anger over high inflation and a tumbling currency, and fearing renewed U.S. "maximum pressure" under Donald Trump, Iranian authorities are wary of a repeat of protests sparked in 2022 by the death in police custody of a young woman that snowballed into the boldest challenge to the country's clerical leadership since the 1979 revolution.



Nineteen-year-old business student Amir Mohammad Khaleqi was stabbed to death by robbers on a motorcycle who stole his backpack late on Wednesday near a dormitory, according to media reports.



Dozens of students staged protests on Friday and Saturday demanding better security in university campus areas, according to videos posted on social media, some of which showed tense scenes of confrontation with plainclothes security men. Reuters could not verify the videos.