On October 20, 2025, a significant wave of protests swept across Iran, revealing a society pushed to its breaking point by institutionalized corruption and state neglect. From retired telecommunication workers and nurses to petrochemical employees and defrauded citizens, Iranians from diverse backgrounds took to the streets in a coordinated display of dissent. These were not isolated pleas for economic relief but a direct and unified challenge to the financial empires of the regime’s most powerful entities—the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) and the office of Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei.
Telecom Retirees Target the IRGC and Khamenei’s Financial Empire
The backbone of the day’s protests was a coordinated, nationwide movement by retired telecommunication workers.
Simultaneous demonstrations erupted in major cities including Tehran, Isfahan, Kermanshah, Tabriz, Shiraz, Ahvaz, Hamedan, Zanjan, Marivan, Ilam and Sanandaj. The protesters’ anger was directed at two of the regime’s most powerful and unaccountable economic giants: the IRGC Cooperative Foundation and the Execution of Khomeini’s Order Headquarters (EIKO or Setad Ejraei), a multi-billion-dollar conglomerate under Khamenei’s direct control. These entities are the major shareholders of the privatized Telecommunications Company of Iran (TCI), and retirees accuse them of systematically plundering their pension funds and ignoring legal obligations.
In the capital, Tehran, retirees marched in the Sardar Jangal Square, their chants cutting through the official narrative of stability: “Theft and lies are their business!” In cities across the country, from Ahvaz to Tabriz, they demanded the full implementation of their pension regulations and the restoration of their supplementary health insurance—basic rights that have been denied by the company’s powerful owners.
October 20—Tabriz, northwest Iran
Retirees of the Telecommunications Company of Iran (TCI) rallied against injustice and regime corruption, denouncing EIKO and regime-linked owners for looting public resources and violating their rights.
“Years of service, no justice!” they… pic.twitter.com/iVDUkQqYbE— People's Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI/MEK) (@Mojahedineng) October 20, 2025
This movement signifies a critical shift, as public anger is no longer generalized but is aimed squarely at the core institutions of the regime’s kleptocracy.
Nurses and Healthcare on the Frontline of Neglect
The outcry was not limited to retirees. In the southwestern city of Ahvaz and the western city of Kermanshah, nurses and healthcare workers held rallies to protest conditions that have brought the healthcare system to the verge of collapse.
Many reported earning between 15 to 35 million tomans monthly, a figure that straddles the official poverty line of 20 million tomans, while facing unbearable workloads and nine months of unpaid bonuses for nursing tariffs.
October 18—Kermanshah, western Iran
Nurses of Kermanshah University of Medical Sciences rallied again to protest unpaid fees, low wages, and years of injustice.
Chants: “Our tables are empty, enough with promises!” and “Incompetent officials, resign!”#IranProtests pic.twitter.com/FRPjd9Yd3q— People's Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI/MEK) (@Mojahedineng) October 20, 2025
In Kermanshah, their chants echoed the desperation felt across the country: “Our tables are empty, enough with empty promises!” In a direct challenge to the authorities, they also shouted the politically potent slogan: “Incompetent official, resign, resign!”
This systemic neglect is fueling a critical brain drain, with reports indicating that approximately 2,500 nurses emigrate from Iran annually, leaving behind an understaffed and demoralized workforce. The image of a nurse in Ahvaz speaking through tears about her colleagues’ plight encapsulates a system that has abandoned its most essential workers.
From Industrial Workers to Victims of State-Sanctioned Fraud
The protests on October 20 demonstrated a widening circle of discontent, drawing in Iranians from various other sectors who have been pushed to the brink by the regime’s failures.
October 20—Ilam, western Iran
Workers of Ilam Petrochemical gathered outside the Labor Office to protest unpaid wages by the Kahrobatavan company, denouncing exploitation and lack of oversight.#IranProtests pic.twitter.com/NbYp9zJ9AJ— People's Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI/MEK) (@Mojahedineng) October 20, 2025
- In Ilam, workers at the Petrochemical Complex protested against the contracting company Kehrubatavan for failing to pay their wages, a common issue in Iran’s opaque and corrupt industrial landscape.
- In Tehran, even former employees of the state’s propaganda machine, the Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting (IRIB), held a rally to protest unpaid dues and mismanagement.
- In Fanuj, a city in the restive Sistan and Baluchestan province, victims of a large-scale vehicle fraud scheme gathered outside the governor’s office. They protested months of official inaction and the absence of justice after a Tehran-based company defrauded hundreds of customers.
These disparate protests are woven together by a common thread: a government and judicial system that is either unwilling or unable to protect its citizens’ most basic rights, leaving them with no recourse but the streets.
October 20—Fanouj, southeast Iran
Victims of a major car fraud scheme rallied outside the governor’s office, protesting officials’ inaction and stalled investigations. They demanded justice after losing money to a Tehran-based company that deceived hundreds across Baluchestan.… pic.twitter.com/jW0IaPKS1j— People's Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI/MEK) (@Mojahedineng) October 20, 2025
The coordinated protests of October 20, 2025, paint a clear picture of a society no longer willing to silently endure systemic plunder. Protesters are not just decrying economic hardship; they are naming their oppressors—the IRGC, EIKO, and incompetent officials—and demanding accountability. It is clear that these deep-seated grievances stem from the corrupt, parallel institutions controlled by the unelected Supreme Leader and the regime has no intention to address them.
The message rising from Iran’s streets is one of unified defiance. The people are holding the entire ruling establishment responsible for decades of mismanagement and are clear that only regime change will set the country on the path to flourishment.