A simultaneous wave of protests erupted across Iran on Saturday, as workers, medical staff, and drivers took to the streets to challenge the Pezeshkian administration’s handling of a deepening livelihood crisis. From the industrial sectors of Shush to the administrative center of Tehran, the demonstrations highlight a unified public outcry against skyrocketing prices and systemic state neglect.
The backdrop to Saturday’s unrest is a startling admission by the regime’s own Statistics Center regarding the economy. New data indicates that point-to-point inflation has reached 49.4%, but the figure for food items is even more severe, averaging 66% nationwide.
The crisis is particularly acute in specific provinces. Alborz province leads with a staggering 79.3% inflation rate for food items, followed closely by Semnan (77.3%) and Yazd (75%). Even in the capital, Tehran, food inflation has surpassed 65%. This explosive rise in the cost of living has evaporated the purchasing power of Iranian households, rendering the regime’s economic promises hollow.
Shush: Sugar Factory Workers Protest “Unbearable” Conditions
In the southwest city of Shush, workers at the Middle East Sugar Company initiated a strike and gathered at the factory gates on Saturday morning. The workers described their working conditions as “unbearable” and cited the management’s refusal to address long-standing grievances.
November 29—Shush, southwest Iran
Workers of Middle East Sugar Company on strike at the factory gate, demanding reinstatement of fired colleagues, a workers’ council, fair job classification, proper wages/benefits, and an end to exhausting 12–18 hr shifts.#IranProtests pic.twitter.com/XHCq6UZEWx— People's Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI/MEK) (@Mojahedineng) November 29, 2025
Their demands paint a grim picture of labor exploitation under the current regime. Workers are protesting against grueling shift patterns that oscillate between day and night work, sometimes extending up to 18 hours. Furthermore, they are demanding the payment of food allowances that have been withheld since June 2019, despite repeated promises from CEOs.
Crucially, the strikers are also calling for the reinstatement of colleagues who were fired a year ago solely for pursuing workers’ rights. They are also demanding the implementation of a proper job classification plan and the formation of an independent labor council.
Ahvaz: “Promises Are Enough, Our Tables Are Empty”
Simultaneously, in Ahvaz, the provincial capital of Khuzestan, emergency personnel and medical staff from the University of Medical Sciences gathered outside the Governor’s office. Their chant, “Promises are enough, our table is empty,” directly targeted the regime’s pattern of making commitments that never materialize.
November 29—Ahvaz, southwest Iran
Medical staff from Ahvaz University of Medical Sciences rallied outside the governor’s office, protesting unmet demands and economic hardship.#IranProtests pic.twitter.com/B8Gmw5gV3F— People's Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI/MEK) (@Mojahedineng) November 29, 2025
Protesters emphasized that the non-payment of wages and benefits has destroyed their financial security, leading to a loss of motivation that directly threatens the quality of healthcare services provided to the public. They are demanding immediate payment of arrears and an increase in base salaries to match the rising cost of living.
Tehran: Drivers in Limbo
In Tehran, a group of rental drivers from various provinces gathered outside the Administrative and Recruitment Organization for the second consecutive day. Approximately 700 drivers, who work full-time for wealthy state institutions including the Oil, Gas, and Medical sectors, have been left in professional limbo since 2023. Despite legal requirements for their employment status to be regularized, they remain without security. “For two years, they have denied us our legal rights with various excuses,” one driver stated.
November 29—Marvast County, central Iran
Local drivers rallied to protest the unfair freight transport conditions, demanding transparent rules and an end to exploitative routing.#IranProtests pic.twitter.com/nNAUwGQn49— People's Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI/MEK) (@Mojahedineng) November 29, 2025
Additionally, local truck drivers in Marvast protested regarding cargo transportation routes involving the Mobarakeh Steel complex, further paralyzing the logistics sector.
As the Pezeshkian administration approaches the end of 2025, it faces a populace that is increasingly unified in its grievances. From the sugar refineries of Shush to the hospitals of Ahvaz, the Iranian people are demonstrating that the regime’s strategy of suppression and empty rhetoric can no longer mask the reality of economic collapse and corruption.