On Monday, May 12, 2025, Iran witnessed a new wave of popular protests spanning dozens of cities across the country. From retirees in the telecommunications sector to healthcare workers, truck drivers, industrialists, and Baluch citizens in the south, a broad social movement emerged, unified by one cry: the collapse of justice, loss of livelihood, and absence of dignity. The regime’s only response continues to be silence or repression.
Telecom Retirees’ Protests Across Cities
In Kermanshah, western Iran, retirees of the Telecommunications Company of Iran (TCI) gathered in front of the telecom office, demanding long-overdue payments and holding the Execution of Khomeini’s Order (EIKO) and the IRGC Cooperative Foundation accountable for years of negligence.
In Ilam, western Iran, protesters demanded an end to the main shareholders’ deliberate delays and declared they would no longer remain silent.
In Tabriz, northwest Iran, dozens of retirees protested years of financial abandonment despite decades of service to the company.
In Tehran (Sardar-e-Jangal), protesters emphasized: “We are not asking for charity; we want our rights after a lifetime of service.”
May 12—Tehran, Iran
Protest by residents of Zeytoun Township in Tehran, who have been unable to build on their legally owned land for over four decades despite multiple judicial rulings in their favor.#IranProtestspic.twitter.com/JBz0XeZQZ9— People's Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI/MEK) (@Mojahedineng) May 12, 2025
In Ahvaz, southwest Iran, a protest march took place, calling for a full settlement of rights and declaring that silence is no longer an option.
In Isfahan, central Iran, protesters chanted: “Justice is dead in this country!” and “The shareholder without conscience is the enemy of the hardworking.”
Additionally, TCI retirees rallied in Arak, Sanandaj, Marivan, and Shahr-e Kord. Protesters carried placards and chanted against institutional corruption, declaring that their rights would only be reclaimed “on the streets” and condemning the regime’s propaganda with slogans like “Our enemy is right here—they’re lying when they say it’s America!” and “Justice is dead in this country!”
The Execution of Khomeini’s Order is one of the wealthiest institutions in Iran, operating under the direct authority of regime’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei. With billions in assets and no legal oversight, it has gained control over key corporations such as TCI. Its monopolistic grip has led to the systematic denial of retirees’ rights and financial benefits, while avoiding accountability.
May 12—Ilam, western Iran
Retirees of the Telecommunications Company of Iran (TCI) rally to highlight their grievances against the company's state-backed shareholders for failing to fulfill financial obligations and pay rightful pensions.#IranProtestspic.twitter.com/IZ4P0BnO6t— People's Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI/MEK) (@Mojahedineng) May 12, 2025
Other Protest Movements and Sectoral Grievances
In Zanjan, northwest Iran, healthcare workers protested against low wages and the denial of even one weekly day off.
At the University of Tabriz, healthcare staff demanded inclusion in the newly reduced workweek, decrying discrimination.
In Kashan (Ravand Industrial City), central Iran, production halted due to power outages and fuel shortages. Workers were sent home without pay.
In Tehran’s Zeytun Complex, property owners demonstrated outside the Presidential Office over the government’s refusal to enforce over 22 legal rulings in their favor that should allow them to build over their legally owned property.
Truck Drivers in Tehran held a protest rally in front of the Ministry of Industry to demand release of their imported vehicles held for months in customs.
On the southern island of Lavan, offshore workers from the Persian Gulf Oil Company staged a protest against discriminatory wage policies, capped salaries, and the regime’s refusal to classify jobs fairly. The demonstration adds to the growing unrest among laborers in Iran’s vital energy sector, which continues to suffer under systemic mismanagement and corruption.
More footage of security forces attacking the defenseless residents of Bandar Kolahi district in Minab, southern Iran, and burning their homes.#IranProtestspic.twitter.com/H83XWCMDJJ
— People's Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI/MEK) (@Mojahedineng) May 12, 2025
Systemic crackdown
At 2 a.m. in the Hootabad district of Chabahar, southeastern Iran, security forces stormed and demolished the home of two blind Baluch brothers. The men were physically assaulted and dragged into the street. When neighbors attempted to intervene, they were threatened at gunpoint by security agents. The incident has drawn widespread outrage for its cruelty and disregard for basic human dignity.
For a second consecutive day, Kolahi Port in Minab witnessed violent raids by regime forces. Markets were bulldozed, homes set on fire, and women and children beaten with batons and fired upon with live ammunition for protesting. Despite this brutality, local residents—especially women—continued marching in defiance, exposing the regime’s failed attempt to crush resistance through sheer violence.
Protests continue to intensify across Iran. Even state media now hints: if the people’s voice is ignored today, it will roar tomorrow. Iran is nearing a breaking point—and the people are preparing to rise.