Protests persist at Iranian colleges and raise tensions as US military threat looms

It has been seven weeks since the Iranian government used brute force to extinguish huge nationwide protests

CAIRO -- It has been seven weeks since the Iranian government used brute force to extinguish huge nationwide protests. But public resistance to the Islamic Republic is still flickering on Iranian college campuses.

Anti-government demonstrations were held on at least 10 campuses in the past week, according to an exiled Iranian activist who tracks the country's student movement, four students who witnessed protests, and social media videos verified by The Associated Press.

The students, who spoke on condition of anonymity for fear of retaliation, all spoke of rising anger on their campuses toward Iran's leaders, and of confusion about the direction their country was headed.

The simmering tensions on campuses come as the Iranian government led by Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei faces threats of military action by the United States over the country's nuclear program.

The theocratic government is increasingly threatening students and administrators. One government official warned students this week not to cross a “red line," while a hard-line cleric who heads Iran's judiciary said “crimes” would be punished if administrators didn't rein in the protests.