On Saturday, December 27, 2025, a fresh wave of unrest swept across multiple Iranian provinces. From the oil-rich southwest to the freezing northwest, medical staff, industrial workers, miners, and retirees coordinated strikes and rallies, united by a common grievance: a regime that offers hollow promises while livelihoods crumble under soaring inflation and systemic corruption.
Healthcare Crisis in Ahvaz: “Our Tables Are Empty”
In Ahvaz, the medical community reached a breaking point. Staff at Jundishapur University of Medical Sciences gathered in front of the Khuzestan Governor’s office to protest chronic mismanagement and delayed wages. Despite the critical nature of their work in emergency services and health support, these professionals face severe financial instability.
Protesters revealed the stark reality of their economic standing: nurses and staff with 15 to 20 years of experience are currently earning only 18 million tomans, a figure that places them squarely below the poverty line. In addition to low pay, they reported being subjected to mandatory overtime while welfare benefits remain unpaid.
The protest highlighted a complete breakdown of trust in local officials. When the provincial Governor attempted to address the crowd, he was met not with negotiation, but with the collective chant: “Our tables are empty, your promises are hollow.” One nurse stated, “The Governor thought he could silence us with a smile, but we shouted back the truth of our empty tables.”
December 27—Ahvaz, southwest Iran
Support staff, EMS crews, and healthcare workers at Ahvaz Jundishapur University of Medical Sciences rallied again, protesting chronic neglect and mismanagement by officials and demanding accountability and policy changes.#IranProtests pic.twitter.com/2EAY904Sza— People's Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI/MEK) (@Mojahedineng) December 27, 2025
Miners Defy Freezing Conditions in Takab
Simultaneously, in the bitter cold of West Azerbaijan province, the strike at the Zarshuran Gold Mine in Takab entered its 15th day. Approximately 400 workers have maintained a picket line for over two weeks, demanding parity in pay and benefits with the facility’s office and factory staff.
The miners issued a statement describing their working conditions as life-threatening. For a decade, they have been exposed to arsenic, mercury, and other heavy metals, with many workers now suffering from cancer and other severe illnesses. Despite 13 days of sit-ins and two years of prior peaceful petitioning, no official has addressed their demands.
In a testament to their resolve, the workers declared on Saturday: “Our hearts are full of anger and protest; our feet may freeze, but our resistance is invincible. We will not leave until we get our rights.”
December 27—Takab, Iran
Zarshuran gold mine workers marked day 15 of their strike, protesting livelihood pressures and rights being denied. In freezing conditions, they demand fair pay and an end to exploitation, chanting, “We won’t leave until we get our rights!”#IranProtests pic.twitter.com/T4TTdBsHPP— People's Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI/MEK) (@Mojahedineng) December 27, 2025
Industrial Crackdowns in Shush
In the industrial sector, the strike at the Middle East Sugar Company in Shush entered its sixth day. Rather than addressing the workers’ demands for proper job classification and food allowances, management has resorted to attrition and intimidation.
The protesting workers are demanding the reinstatement of three colleagues who were fired after their contracts were not renewed.
Despite threats and the refusal of local authorities to intervene, the workers have refused to return to the factory floor, stating that the dismissal of their representatives was an attack on the collective body of the workforce.
December 27—Shush, southwest Iran
On day six of their strike, workers at Middle East Sugar Company rallied outside the factory gates, demanding urgent action on their lawful, long-overdue claims.#IranProtests pic.twitter.com/bmeB9GNDly— People's Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI/MEK) (@Mojahedineng) December 27, 2025
Retirees Reject Predatory Mergers
The unrest also extended to the retired community. In Ahvaz and Kermanshah, retirees from the oil industry gathered to protest the government’s plan to merge the Oil Pension Fund with the general Social Security Organization. The retirees view this move not as a reform, but as a looting of their independently funded pension pot to cover the massive deficits of the state-mismanaged Social Security system. They demanded the preservation of their fund’s independence and the immediate payment of arrears.