Iran: Truck Drivers’ Strike Expands to 93 Cities in 27 Provinces on Its Fourth Day, Despite Repressive Measures
In Sanandaj, protesting drivers were attacked with pepper spray, several arrested
On Sunday, May 25, 2025, the nationwide strike of truck and cargo vehicle drivers expanded for the fourth consecutive day, reaching 93 cities across 27 provinces. Cities in East Azerbaijan, West Azerbaijan, Ardabil, Isfahan, Alborz, Ilam, Bushehr, Tehran, Chaharmahal and Bakhtiari, South Khorasan, Razavi Khorasan, Khuzestan, Zanjan, Semnan, Fars, Qazvin, Qom, Kurdistan, Kerman, Kermanshah, Gilan, Lorestan, Markazi, Hormozgan, Hamadan, and Yazd witnessed the truck drivers’ strike.
Truck drivers have completely stopped loading at terminals and transit routes, protesting against high insurance costs, lower diesel fuel quotas, low freight rates, and widespread corruption. The strike is visible on highways, garages, terminals, and ring roads, with routes like the Isfahan-Tehran freeway noted to be nearly empty of trucks.
In Sanandaj, repressive forces used pepper spray to attack protesters. The General Department of Roads and Transportation of Khuzestan also issued a statement threatening that if the strike continues, drivers’ loading privileges would be revoked, and they would be removed from the fleet.
Placards and leaflets bearing the slogan “Neither Shah, Nor Mullah” have been displayed at the strike locations in some cities, such as Kermanshah, Zahedan, and Ahar.
The Syndicate of Workers of Tehran and Suburbs Bus Company today issued a statement addressed to the truck drivers, stating: “Strikes and protests are the legal right of drivers and all workers. The Syndicate of Workers of Tehran and Suburbs Bus Company supports your strike and just demands.”
According to the state-affiliated media “Etemad Online,” the price of 14mm rebar from Isfahan Steel Mill has dropped by 1,500 tomans to the 45,000 toman range. This price reduction is attributed to disruptions in the supply chain and interruptions in transportation caused by the drivers’ strike (Etemad Online – May 25, 2025).
In fear of the expanding truck drivers’ strike, Qalibaf, the Speaker of the mullahs’ Parliament, on May 25, 2025, made an empty promise, calling for “immediate and effective attention” to the problems of this sector, and the regime’s Deputy Minister of Roads and Transportation stated: “We will address the demands of the truck drivers.” The Quds terrorist force’s news agency (Tasnim), in an attempt to break the strike, also promised “good news,” including insurance discounts and fuel quotas.
Mrs. Maryam Rajavi, the President-elect of the National Council of Resistance of Iran, saluted the truck drivers on the fourth day of their strike and condemned the arrests and repressive measures taken against them, particularly in Sanandaj. She stated that these repressive actions only amplify the voice of the hardworking people’s protest. Uprising and resistance are the only ways to achieve freedom from poverty, discrimination, unemployment, and systemic governmental corruption.
Secretariat of the National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI)
25 May 2025