The month of February 2025 witnessed a significant escalation in protests across Iran, reflecting the country’s worsening economic, social, and political crises. With more than six months into Masoud Pezeshkian’s presidency, it has become increasingly clear that the regime remains in a state of deadlock, unable to address the deepening challenges it faces. As a result, protests by various sectors of society have expanded across multiple cities.
According to reports, at least 216 protest movements took place in Iran in February. These protests spanned a wide range of social and economic grievances, with the breakdown as follows:
- Retirees: 72 protests
- Workers: 43 protests
- Nurses and healthcare workers: 12 protests
- Students: 9 protests
- Shopkeepers and merchants: 6 protests
- Doctors and pharmacists: 4 protests
- Truck drivers: 2 protests
- Teachers and educators: 2 protests
- Farmers: 1 protest
- Taxi drivers: 1 protest
- Poultry farmers: 1 protest
- Engineers: 1 protest
- Other sectors: 62 protests
#IranProtests Escalate as Retirees, Students, and Workers Challenge Regime’s Economic and Social Policieshttps://t.co/sejT3hIKqg
— NCRI-FAC (@iran_policy) February 17, 2025
Key Characteristics of the Protests
Retirees held protests demanding pension adjustments, fair wages, and better living conditions. Many of these demonstrations targeted government institutions, with protesters accusing officials of corruption and financial mismanagement.
Workers from multiple industries, including oil, petrochemicals, mining, and telecommunications, protested against low wages, job insecurity, lack of workplace safety, and unfair labor practices. Key protests included:
- Oil and petrochemical sector: Strikes and demonstrations by workers at Abouzar Oilfield, the Iranian Offshore Oil Company in Lavan, Fajr Jam Gas Refinery, and several petrochemical plants in Mahshahr and Bandar Imam.
- Mining sector: Workers at the Eastern Alborz coal mines protested against delayed wages and unsafe working conditions.
- Steel and industrial sector: Protests by workers at Khazar Steel Plant in Rasht, Iran Telecommunications Company employees, and textile workers in Boroujerd.
Nurses and medical staff from multiple hospitals, including Shahid Beheshti Hospital in Kashan, Al-Zahra Hospital in Isfahan, and Aria Hospital in Ahvaz, protested against excessive working hours, poor wages, and delayed payments. Many cited the lack of proper resources as a major crisis in Iran’s healthcare sector.
Students at Tehran University, Iran University of Medical Sciences, and Free University of Tehran held demonstrations against the threefold increase in tuition fees and the government’s failure to adjust exam schedules for graduate students.
#IranProtests Escalate Amid Economic Hardship, Corruption, and Government Neglecthttps://t.co/dWOLORcuMu
— NCRI-FAC (@iran_policy) March 1, 2025
Tensions escalated following the murder of Amir Mohammad Khaleqi, a student at Tehran University, who was killed near his dormitory in an altercation with criminals. In response, students staged protests at Tehran University’s dormitory by mid-February, which led to clashes with plainclothes security forces, resulting in multiple student arrests.
Protests by bazaar merchants and shopkeepers were recorded in Tehran’s Molavi Street, South Khiam, and Iran’s gold markets in Iranshahr and Ardabil. The primary grievances included soaring prices, excessive taxation, and economic instability.
Doctors and pharmacists in Yasuj, Isfahan, and Ahvaz protested over 18 months of unpaid wages, delayed insurance reimbursements, and worsening living standards.
Truck drivers in Semnan went on strike over poor wages and logistical issues, while taxi drivers in Mashhad protested against new restrictive regulations imposed by the city’s transportation authority.
Environmental and Social Justice Movements Gain Momentum
Environmental activists in Isfahan formed a human chain to protest against mining projects that threaten local ecosystems. Meanwhile, residents of Arak marched on several days against the use of highly pollutant mazut fuel in power plants, which has significantly deteriorated air quality in the region.
Families of political prisoners facing execution gathered outside Evin Prison in Tehran, demanding justice and an end to capital punishment. These protests were met with heavy security crackdowns.
Khamenei’s Speech Reveals His Deepest Fear: The #Iranian Peoplehttps://t.co/pcr6apDfMu
— NCRI-FAC (@iran_policy) February 18, 2025
A Regime in Crisis as Public Dissent Grows
The increasing frequency and scale of protests across Iran reflect the regime’s deepening crisis. As economic conditions worsen and social dissatisfaction rises, it is becoming evident that the government of Masoud Pezeshkian is not able or willing to implement any meaningful changes. Instead, the regime continues to rely on suppression, arrests, and intimidation to control dissent.
With inflation soaring, wages stagnating, and political tensions rising, the country is on the brink of larger and more coordinated uprisings. The February protests serve as a warning sign that Iran is entering a period of intensifying public unrest with no resolution in sight.