Protest rallies swept through multiple Iranian provinces on Monday, April 14, as retirees from the telecommunications and broadcasting sectors, farmers, and truck drivers took to the streets to voice their grievances over deteriorating economic conditions, unfulfilled government promises, and systemic injustice under the clerical regime.
In Kermanshah, Sanandaj, Tabriz, Bijar, and Isfahan, retirees from the Telecommunications Company of Iran (TCI) staged coordinated protests demanding full implementation of a long-ignored law passed in 2010 that requires pension adjustments based on inflation. Protesters in Kermanshah, western Iran, chanted: “Until we get our rights, we won’t stop fighting,” and “The main shareholder has stolen our money.” In Sanandaj, the mood turned more defiant, with chants of: “Shame on the oppressive shareholder! Shame on the lying managers!”
In Isfahan, central Iran, retirees directed their anger at Setad (Execution of Imam Khomeini’s Order) and the IRGC Cooperative Foundation, both major stakeholders in the telecom industry, accusing them of looting the workers’ funds. “This much injustice has never been seen in any nation!” one placard read.
April 14—Tabriz, northwest Iran
Protest rally by retirees of the Telecommunications Company of Iran (TCI) in front of the company's provincial headquarters. Protesters demand higher pensions and access to basic services.#IranProtests pic.twitter.com/LDbsP0OsZB— People's Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI/MEK) (@Mojahedineng) April 14, 2025
Similar rallies erupted in Tehran, where retirees of the Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting (IRIB) protested unpaid pensions and wage disparities. In Yazd, central Iran, truck drivers rallied against the chronic shortage of cargo opportunities, which has devastated their income.
In Nahavand, western Iran, local farmers gathered outside an agricultural office to protest the shortage of subsidized fertilizers and the regime’s broken promises.
The protests unfolded amid a wave of growing unrest in Sistan and Baluchestan, where two Baluch fuel carriers were killed on April 12 when IRGC forces opened fire on their vehicle in the Saravan area, setting it ablaze. On the same day in Pishin, IRGC and other security forces stormed the home of Mohsen Parmo (Hoot), a local Baluch man, sparking an armed clash. Parmo was killed, and at least four regime agents were reportedly injured.
April 14—Isfahan, central Iran
Retirees of telecommunications industry protest the mismanagement of their pensions by major shareholders, incluing the Execution of Khomeini's Order (Setad) and the IRGC Cooperative Foundation.#IranProtestspic.twitter.com/QAHuZxyOn2— People's Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI/MEK) (@Mojahedineng) April 14, 2025
Protesters in today’s rallies repeatedly warned regime officials: “We’ve only heard lies; we’ve seen no justice,” and “Big promises were all lies, and the profitable company has been wrecked.”
The recurring protests across the working and retired sectors reflect a society increasingly unwilling to accept empty rhetoric and economic ruin. As one retiree in Bijar put it: “You can crush the law, but you cannot erase our demands.”