Iran said its schools would reopen Sunday after a week of closures imposed during one of the country’s most violent bouts of unrest in years—but by midday, there was still no independent confirmation that students had actually returned to their classrooms.
State media reported that schools in Tehran and other cities, shuttered since January 10, were scheduled to resume classes. The closures came as authorities moved to reassert control after weeks of protests that began with anger over currency devaluation and soaring prices and spiraled into nationwide violence.
For days, Iran went dark. The government imposed a near-total internet blackout, suspended education, and deployed security forces across major cities in an effort to crush the unrest and prevent demonstrations from spreading.
On Saturday, Iran’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei struck a defiant tone, accusing the United States of plotting the upheaval with the aim of “swallowing up Iran” and declaring that the state had already “extinguished the sedition.”
Yet by midday, the promise of a return to normal life remained just that—a promise. Reporters were unable to verify whether schools had reopened, underscoring how little is known about conditions on the ground after days of censorship and communication shutdowns.
The protests have become one of the most serious domestic challenges the Islamic Republic has faced in years, fueled by economic distress, grinding sanctions, and public anger over corruption and declining living standards.
Officials insist the crisis has passed. But in a country where the internet can vanish overnight, and classrooms can close without warning, the question is not just whether schools have reopened—but whether Iran is anywhere near returning to normal.