The disciplinary action follows a wave of nationwide unrest that began in December as demonstrations over rising living costs and later evolved into broader anti-establishment protests. The movement reached its peak in January before continuing in smaller forms on university campuses across the country.

According to the Fars news agency, the university’s Disciplinary Committee issued separate preliminary rulings ordering the expulsion of six students for their alleged participation in unrest that took place in February.

Fars reported that the students were accused of organizing and leading unauthorized gatherings, using language deemed insulting by authorities, engaging in activities considered hostile to the Islamic Republic, and committing other disciplinary violations.

The report did not indicate whether the students face separate criminal proceedings in Iran’s judicial system, including before revolutionary courts, which frequently handle cases involving national security and political offenses.

Among the allegations cited by Fars was the display and promotion of the Lion and Sun emblem, a historic national symbol that appeared on Iran’s flag before the 1979 Islamic Revolution. The emblem is often associated with opponents of the current political system and supporters of exiled opposition figure Reza Pahlavi.

Sharif University of Technology, widely regarded as Iran’s most prestigious engineering and scientific institution, has historically been a focal point for student activism and political debate.

The protests that spread across Iran earlier this year drew international attention and prompted criticism from foreign human rights organizations, which accused authorities of carrying out a harsh crackdown. Iranian officials have rejected those accusations, maintaining that violence during the unrest was driven by individuals they describe as terrorists backed by the United States and Israel.

Neither the university nor Iranian authorities immediately released additional details regarding the disciplinary rulings or the appeals process available to the affected students.

The semiofficial Fars news agency and Nour News said the strike targeted a residential area, though the intended objective remained unclear. Neither Israel nor the United States immediately claimed responsibility for the attack, which followed escalating threats from Washington over Iran’s closure of the Strait of Hormuz.

Separate airstrikes also hit Iran’s capital, Tehran, before dawn, with explosions reported across the city and the sound of fighter jets heard intermittently for hours. Iranian authorities did not immediately provide details on the targets or casualties from those strikes.

Iranian media said Sharif University of Technology in Tehran was among the sites hit, with damage reported to campus buildings and a nearby natural gas distribution facility. The university has previously faced international sanctions over alleged links to Iran’s ballistic missile program, though it was unclear what specific facilities were targeted.

In the city of Qom, south of the capital, an airstrike on a residential area killed at least five people, according to the state-run IRAN newspaper. Authorities did not specify the intended target of that strike.

Iran’s science minister said more than 30 universities across the country have been hit since the conflict began in late February, underscoring the widening scope of the bombardment. Iran has not released updated nationwide casualty figures in recent days.

The latest strikes come amid sustained attacks on military and infrastructure sites, with Iranian security forces reportedly using alternative locations as bases after repeated strikes on established facilities.

The conflict has also forced the closure of schools nationwide, with classes moved online, and disrupted key infrastructure, including energy distribution networks.