Three-minute read
Fuel portering, one of the most dangerous and precarious occupations in the Sistan and Baluchestan province, is a livelihood that thousands of residents have resorted to—not by choice, but out of sheer necessity to provide for their families. This week, the heartbreaking news of impoverished fuel porters burning to death has deeply pained the people of Baluchestan.
These fuel porters either perish in accidents or fall victim to the bullets of oppressive military forces. The necessity for bread, for life, and for supporting a family drives these fuel porters to this dangerous work. In regions where job opportunities are scarce and resources limited, people are forced to choose this perilous path. They risk their lives, fully aware of the dangers, simply to keep their families alive.
Creating job opportunities, improving the economic and social conditions of the region, and addressing the real needs of the people are the only solutions that can ease this pain and prevent such tragedies. These solutions will never be possible under the tyrannical and illegitimate regime of Khamenei. There is hope that this oppressive regime will be overthrown, and these sorrows will come to an end.
This week, many young people engaged in fuel portering lost their lives in various incidents. On Saturday, August 3, around 3:30 PM, military forces pursued a fuel porter’s vehicle, causing it to veer off course and collide with a passenger car. This collision resulted in the deaths of two fuel porters and three members of a family traveling in the Samand car, who perished in the flames.
In another incident on Friday, August 2, a young Baluch fuel seller was shot and killed by unidentified gunmen at the Yakh-Sazi intersection in Chabahar. Local people attributed these killings to state forces.
Additionally, unknown individuals, believed by locals to be government forces, set fire to fuel depots. To make a living, Baluch people store part of their fuel, which they cannot carry. These depots are identified and set ablaze by suppressive forces. On the evening of Friday, August 2, a fuel depot in Chah Jamal, Iranshahr, caught fire, causing irreparable damage.
On Monday, July 29, security forces ambushed a fuel porter’s vehicle on the Jakigur-Rask route, seizing its fuel load.
Another tragic incident occurred on Friday, July 26, when 14-year-old Imran Baluchzehi, who had been severely injured by gunfire from security forces, succumbed to his injuries after seven days in the hospital. He and two other teenagers were targeted in the Kalagan border area of Saravan. Imran and his brother were gravely injured, and another teenager was beaten. Tragically, Imran did not survive.
More footage of protests in Rask after security forces open fire on fuel porters#IranProtestspic.twitter.com/lNwnHHRN92
— People's Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI/MEK) (@Mojahedineng) November 1, 2023
These numerous incidents of death, burning, and persecution are the result of the regime, which continues to oppress the impoverished people of this province. The ongoing killings of fuel porters, whether in road accidents or by direct gunshots, highlight the regime’s systemic oppression. The people of this province are left to suffer in isolation, engulfed in pain and sorrow.
Rahmdel Bamari, a member of the regime’s parliament, admitted to the dire conditions faced by the people of Sistan and Baluchestan, saying, “The people of Sistan and Baluchestan are deprived of basic necessities like water and electricity. In temperatures exceeding 60 degrees Celsius, there is neither water nor electricity. Agricultural wells are completely dry, and people cannot afford to pay for electricity.”
The state-run Arman Melli newspaper reported on the harsh living conditions, stating, “While scorching heat has shut down government offices and institutions, the people of Sistan endure both heat and drought, along with the relentless onslaught of ‘dust storms.'”
Today's clashes in #Saravan in #SistanBaluchestan province in #Iran erupted after the IRGC dug large ditches on the highway to prevent Baluch fuel porters from transporting fuel and started to shoot on the people: 40 innocent people so far killed & 100 injured #IranProtests pic.twitter.com/pvAXweVTQE
— Hossein Abedini (@HoAbedini) February 23, 2021
According to the state-run Bahar News, “The wind and dust are so severe that every breath taken by the residents of Sistan fills their lungs with dust. ‘Zabol is the most polluted city in the world.'”
These admissions and reports, despite being attempts to deflect responsibility from the state, highlight the immense suffering endured by the people of Sistan and Baluchestan under the regime’s constant oppression. Over the years, the regime has only dispatched high-ranking officials to this region in response to major uprisings. Decades of inequality, discrimination, and exploitation have driven these people to radical revolts.