A sweeping wave of protests has engulfed Iran over the past 48 hours, bridging the gap between industrial laborers in gold mines and medical professionals in hospitals. As of Tuesday, December 23, reports from across the country indicate a unified rejection of the regime’s economic mismanagement, with citizens from Shiraz to Takab taking to the streets to demand rights that have been systematically plundered.
Despite the promises of Masoud Pezeshkian’s government to address the livelihoods of the working class, the situation on the ground reveals a deepening crisis of poverty, corruption, and state-sponsored fraud.
The “National Housing” Scam
In Shiraz, Fars province, what was touted as a flagship government project has been rebranded by angry citizens as “National Fraud.” On Monday, December 22, applicants for the “National Housing Movement” gathered outside the General Department of Roads and Urban Development.
December 23—Shiraz, southern Iran
Applicants of the National Housing Movement rallied after 4 years of waiting and paying over 600 million tomans with no homes delivered. With projects left half-finished, officials are now demanding 200 million more—protesters denounce fraud,… pic.twitter.com/t3YieAXLK5— People's Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI/MEK) (@Mojahedineng) December 23, 2025
The protesters’ grievance is stark: after four years of waiting and payments exceeding 600 million tomans, they remain homeless. The construction projects, which were promised to be six-story residential buildings, have stalled at the third floor. Yet, rather than delivering the units, authorities are now demanding an additional 200 million tomans from the applicants.
Similarly, in Borazjan, Bushehr province, buyers of the “Isargaran” housing project rallied outside the local Judiciary on Monday. The regime-affiliated contractor sold approximately 280 units, collected the funds, and left the project in limbo for years. “No one hears our voice,” the protesters chanted, highlighting the judiciary’s refusal to prosecute the state-linked entities responsible for the theft.
“Our Work is Dollar-Based, Our Pay is in Rials”
The collapse of the national currency has devastated Iran’s healthcare sector. On Tuesday, December 23, nursing staff at Razi Hospital in Ahvaz, Khuzestan province, held a protest rally. The medical staff, who are forced to work compulsory overtime due to labor shortages, chanted a slogan that encapsulates the economic reality of 2025 Iran: “Our work is dollar-based, our pay is in Rials.”
December 23—Ahvaz, southwest Iran
Nursing staff at Razi Hospital rallied over worsening living conditions and low pay, demanding fair wages and full healthcare benefits. They chanted: “Our wages are missing, our right to treatment is shrinking” and “Our work is dollar-based, our… pic.twitter.com/AdXn3FEsWQ— People's Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI/MEK) (@Mojahedineng) December 23, 2025
The nurses are protesting “missing funds” allocated for healthcare tariffs and the dramatic reduction in their purchasing power. Despite a previous rally on December 20, their demands for fair wages and the payment of overdue arrears have been ignored.
Gold and Sugar: Wealth Extraction vs. Worker Poverty
While the regime exports the nation’s natural resources, the workers extracting this wealth remain in poverty. In Takab, West Azerbaijan province, the strike at the Zarshuran Gold Mine entered its tenth consecutive day on Tuesday. Zarshuran is one of the richest gold deposits in the Middle East, yet its miners are striking for basic welfare rights and an end to discriminatory payment practices.
December 23—Takab, northwest Iran
Workers at the Zarshuran gold mine entered their 10th straight day of strike, demanding welfare benefits, fair pay, and an end to discrimination. They say officials have offered no clear response as livelihoods erode despite the mine’s vast… pic.twitter.com/OAXd9PoD8D— People's Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI/MEK) (@Mojahedineng) December 23, 2025
Simultaneously, at the Middle East Sugar Factory, workers entered their second day of strikes on Tuesday. The unrest was triggered by the expulsion of three workers who had acted as representatives in demanding unpaid wages. The workers are also protesting the non-implementation of job classification laws, a tactic used by employers to suppress wages.
Pensioners Rejection of “Unjust” Budget
In Kermanshah, a broad coalition of retirees from the government, social security, telecommunications, and healthcare sectors rallied outside the State Pension Fund on Tuesday. The protesters condemned the government’s proposed budget for the upcoming Persian year, which offers a mere 20% increase in pensions—a figure that falls woefully short of the country’s triple-digit inflation rate.
December 23—Kermanshah, western Iran
Retirees from the Civil Service Pension Fund, Social Security Organization, Telecommunications Company of Iran (TCI), and the health sector rallied outside the Kermanshah provincial Civil Service Pension Fund office, protesting poor… pic.twitter.com/0k3mAUt96d— People's Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI/MEK) (@Mojahedineng) December 23, 2025
Reports from the scene described a sympathetic public, with passing cars honking continuously to show solidarity with the elderly protesters who can no longer afford the costs of survival. The pensioners also called for the release of death-row political prisoner Mohammad Javad Vafaei Sani.
As 2025 draws to a close, the Iranian people are making clear that the root cause of poverty and corruption remains a regime that prioritizes its own survival and regional aggression over the welfare of its people.