During marches commemorating the 40th day following the killing of protesters in previous demonstrations, students chanted slogans against the leadership of the Islamic Republic, while Iranian President Masoud Bazshkyan stated on Saturday that his country will not "bow down" in the face of pressures from global powers.
Bazshkyan added in a televised speech that "global powers are lining up to force us to bow our heads... but we will not bow our heads despite all the problems they create for us," amid talks on the nuclear file with the United States and estimates of an imminent military confrontation between the two countries.
On Friday, American President Donald Trump warned Iran, stating that its government must negotiate a "fair agreement," as he considers a military option.
Slogans Against the Leadership of the Islamic Republic
During marches commemorating the 40th day of protesters killed in the latest crackdown on demonstrations, Iranian students chanted slogans against the leadership of the Islamic Republic, clashing with other pro-government groups, according to local media.
Videos identified by Agence France-Presse as coming from a prestigious engineering university in Tehran showed clashes erupting among the crowd.
Footage broadcast by the Farsi-speaking television channel "Iran International," based outside the country, showed a large crowd at the Sharif University of Technology chanting slogans against the authorities.
Iranians resumed chanting political slogans against the Islamic Republic this week in ceremonies commemorating those killed during the peak of the protests in the previous month.
Students gathered again in several universities in the capital on Saturday, according to local media.
In the western town of Abdanan, a center of protests, the human rights organization Hengaw and social media posts reported that protesters chanted "Death to Khamenei" and "Death to the dictator" following the arrest of an activist teacher.
State-affiliated news agencies such as the Student News Agency published videos of the clashes, with claims that the protesters injured volunteer students of the Basij force when they threw stones at one of the largest engineering colleges in Iran.
The Basij forces, affiliated with the Revolutionary Guard, often assist security forces in "suppressing" protests, according to Reuters.
Fars News Agency reported that what was supposed to be a "peaceful, silent sit-in" by students to commemorate the dead, was disrupted by individuals chanting slogans including "Death to the dictator" in reference to the Supreme Leader of the Islamic Republic.
A video published by Fars News Agency showed a group waving Iranian flags facing a crowd wearing masks.
"A Matter of Time"
The Israeli Broadcasting Corporation reported, "Estimates in Israel indicate that launching an American attack on Iran is a matter of time."
Arakchi talked to Qatari Foreign Minister Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani, and they affirmed the continuation of negotiations between the United States and Iran, according to the Qatari news agency.
The American website Axios reported, citing a senior American official, that the Trump administration is prepared to consider a proposal that might allow Iran a "symbolic" enrichment of uranium, provided that it does not open any potential pathway to nuclear weapons possession.
According to the source, this proposal may indicate a narrow margin between the red lines declared by both sides, as efforts continue to reach an agreement that restricts the Iranian nuclear program and prevents a military confrontation.
However, American officials have also noted that the president has received military options, including plans targeting the Iranian Supreme Leader, according to Axios.
According to Axios, the Pentagon presented Trump with several scenarios, one of which involves targeting the Iranian Supreme Leader and his son Mojtaba, who is considered a potential successor. A second source confirmed that the idea of assassinating Khamenei and his son was proposed weeks ago.
The American official emphasized that any forthcoming Iranian offer would face stringent scrutiny within the American administration and among Washington's allies in the region. He stated that the president would be ready to accept a deal "with a genuine core" that can be marketed politically domestically, warning that "patience will not last long" if Iran does not make a compelling offer.
American officials informed Reuters that military planning towards Iran has reached an advanced stage, involving options including "targeting specific individuals in an attack, and even seeking to change the leadership in Tehran," should direct instructions from Trump proceed.
Trump gave Iran a deadline of between 10 and 15 days to reach an agreement on Thursday, warning of "very serious consequences" in case of non-compliance.
The main point of contention revolves around the issue of uranium enrichment within Iranian territory. While Washington officially insists on a "zero enrichment" principle, Tehran asserts that completely abandoning enrichment affects what it considers a sovereign right for civilian purposes.
Despite this, the American official indicated that Washington might consider a proposal involving "limited and symbolic enrichment," if accompanied by detailed technical guarantees proving the impossibility of converting the program to a military path.
On his part, Araqchi denied during the recent Geneva talks that the United States had demanded an official pledge for "zero enrichment," and he also denied that Iran had offered to temporarily suspend its program.
Araqchi Denies Trump's Claims About Casualties in Protests
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi responded to Trump's statements regarding the death of 32,000 people in a short period, affirming the inaccuracy of these figures and demanding evidence for them.
In a post he shared on his official "X" account, Araqchi pointed out that the Iranian government had previously published a comprehensive list including the names of 3,117 victims who fell in the recent "terrorist operations."
The minister confirmed the publication liste
