A palpable wave of defiance swept across Iran on Wednesday, May 14, 2025, as citizens in multiple cities took to the streets, their protests a stark testament to the regime’s catastrophic systemic failures and the Iranian people’s unyielding spirit. From Qazvin to Tehran, Abadan to Bojnurd, the demonstrations cut across various sectors, all echoing a unified message: “The people no longer believe, no longer fear, and no longer wait.”
This surge of public anger underscores a populace pushed to the brink by economic destitution and the regime’s utter disregard for their basic needs.
The protests vividly illustrated the depth of the economic despair. In Qazvin, northwest Iran, participants in the “National Housing Project,” betrayed by yet another failed government scheme, voiced their desperation with chants like, “We are below the poverty line, and we will fight!” and “Worker, shout out, scream for your rights.”
May 14—Abadan, southwest Iran
Retirees of the petrochemical industry rally in front of the governorate to protest poor living conditions, unpaid benefits, and governmental neglect.#IranProtestspic.twitter.com/Er5wtc5zX4— People's Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI/MEK) (@Mojahedineng) May 14, 2025
Similarly, petrochemical retirees in Abadan, southwest Iran, were unequivocal in their demands, rallying in front of the governorate with the resolute cry, “We came to get our rights,” seeking long-overdue benefits.
Bakers across several cities, including Yazd (central Iran), Bojnurd (northeast Iran), and Rafsanjan (southeast Ira), protested crippling raw material costs, unfair pricing, and the dysfunctional state-imposed “Nannino” system, with bakers in Yazd boldly declaring, “Nannino must be eliminated,” and “We are servants of the nation, not slaves of the government.”
May 14—Bojnurd, northeast Iran
Bakers of North Khorasan province rally in front of the provincial governorate to protest economic grievances such as unpaid claims, rising costs, and unfair bread pricing. #IranProtestspic.twitter.com/TG2FSdcCuv— People's Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI/MEK) (@Mojahedineng) May 14, 2025
This growing boldness extended to direct challenges against the regime’s institutional incompetence. The 15-year ordeal of victims of the failed “Hakim Housing Project” in Tehran, who protested demanding accountability for empty promises, exemplifies the systemic mismanagement.
In Kashan, central Iran, truck drivers highlighted the regime’s ineptitude in fuel distribution, with one noting their grievances have gone unheard by officials in Tehran or Isfahan for six months. This consistent pattern of neglect and failure across essential services demonstrates a regime incapable of, or unwilling to, govern responsibly.
More footage of the protest rally by truck drivers in Kashan.#IranProtestspic.twitter.com/WlJBiMrxzy
— People's Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI/MEK) (@Mojahedineng) May 14, 2025
Significantly, the people’s defiance is also taking more organized and politically charged forms. PMOI Resistance Units in Tehran’s Nazi Abad district, on May 13th, directly confronted the regime’s narrative on power shortages. Their slogans, “Cut off IRGC’s electricity, the power shortage will be solved,” and “The electricity thieves of the nation are IRGC, Basij, and supreme leader,” explicitly accuse the regime’s repressive organs—the IRGC and Basij—of plundering national resources, thereby linking the people’s suffering directly to the regime’s corrupt priorities.
Further underscoring the increasingly confrontational atmosphere, the official IRNA news agency reported the death of a member of a repressive commando unit in Qom province. According to this state source, quoting the Qom Provincial Police Command, the commando unit member was “intentionally run over by a car while on duty.”
While the regime continues to offer only “denial, evasion, or threats,” the clear and unified message from the streets of Iran is one of an awakened society. The protests of May 14th are not merely cries of despair but resounding echoes of defiance, signaling a population increasingly unwilling to tolerate a system that has brought only poverty, corruption, and ruin. The unyielding spirit of the Iranian people serves as a potent reminder that their demand for fundamental change will not be silenced.