The nationwide wave of protests and strikes across Iran reflects the mounting dissatisfaction with economic mismanagement, layoffs, and lack of basic services under the regime. Events in recent days underscore the deepening crisis.
December 28
Kermanshah, Western Iran: Laid-off employees of Sajjad Hospital rallied against their dismissal and the lack of support from the Medical Sciences University. Protesters called for fair treatment and reinstatement.
Khorramshahr, Southwest Iran: Workers of the Iran Ofogh company entered the third day of strikes at the Yadavarn oil field, demanding better working conditions and fair wages.
Zahedan, Southeast Iran: PMOI Resistance Units continued their anti-regime activities, emphasizing their opposition to all forms of dictatorship.
December 28—Khorramshahr, southwest Iran
Third day of strikes by workers of Iran Ofogh company in the Yadavarn oil field.#IranProtests pic.twitter.com/3SGHeJsYcA— People's Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI/MEK) (@Mojahedineng) December 28, 2024
December 26
Rasht, Northern Iran: Snapp ride-hailing service drivers held a rally protesting unfavorable pricing policies that make earning a living increasingly difficult.
Bojnurd, Northeast Iran: Recently retired teachers demonstrated for higher pensions and unpaid wages.
Eslamabad-e Gharb, Western Iran: Workers of the Shadabad petrochemical plant protested months of unpaid wages.
Sistan and Baluchestan Province: On December 26, in the impoverished Shirabad neighborhood of Zahedan, security forces demolished the homes of marginalized Baluch residents, leaving families homeless during the harsh winter. This is part of a broader trend of demolitions targeting low-income and minority communities, with over 1,500 homes destroyed in the last three months.
Protests erupted in Karaj and Kermanshah, where retirees demanded overdue payments, higher pensions, and justice for jailed activists.
In Sistan and Baluchestan, reports of drug shortages, particularly for diabetes and dialysis patients, exacerbate the crisis as patients struggle to afford black-market alternatives.
At Tehran’s refinery, 150 welders were fired after striking for unpaid wages dating back to October. The workers, under severe pressure from intelligence forces, have been blacklisted from returning to work. Across the oil and gas sectors, third-party contractors, including 15 worker representatives, face dismissal for advocating better conditions.
December 26—Bojnurd, northeast Iran
Recently retired teachers hold protest rally to reiterate their demands for unpaid wages and higher pensions.#IranProtests pic.twitter.com/PMkTVVkdnn— People's Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI/MEK) (@Mojahedineng) December 26, 2024
December 25
Kashan, Central Iran: Truck owners rallied against inequitable road and cargo allocation policies, which they claim disproportionately harm independent operators.
Karaj, Northern Iran: Recently retired teachers gathered outside the provincial education ministry office, reiterating demands for unpaid wages and higher pensions. They also advocated for the release of jailed teacher activists.
In Arak, residents protested air pollution caused by the use of mazut fuel in factories. Demonstrators criticized the government’s failure to address the environmental and health crisis.
Chabahar, Southeast Iran: On December 25, security forces violently attacked street vendors, destroying their stalls and confiscating goods. These vendors, primarily from low-income families, depend on small-scale sales to survive, highlighting the regime’s aggressive stance against Iran’s economically disadvantaged.
PMOI Resistance Units intensify anti-regime efforts in Zahedan amid rising executions https://t.co/ZJ4vOh5fpg
— People's Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI/MEK) (@Mojahedineng) December 28, 2024
December 24
Bushehr, Southern Iran: Contract workers of the South Pars Gas Company rallied, demanding changes to job classification and wage determination policies.
Ilam, Western Iran: Municipal bus drivers protested the misallocation of a 31 billion toman budget meant for renovating the city’s bus fleet, which had instead been diverted elsewhere.
Kermanshah, Western Iran: Retired teachers protested low pensions and inadequate access to basic services.
Ahvaz, Southwest Iran: Employees of Naft Hospital rallied against excessive taxation on their wages.
These protests and strikes, combined with systemic oppression and economic mismanagement, underline a volatile situation in Iran. The regime’s responses—ranging from violent crackdowns to dismissals of protesting workers—further stoke public anger. With no meaningful change in sight, the unrest is expected to continue, reflecting a nation increasingly unwilling to endure ongoing injustices.