On Sunday, December 14, a widespread wave of unrest swept across Iran, bridging the gap between generations and industries. From the oil-rich plains of Khuzestan to the university dormitories of Tehran, diverse segments of society—students, retirees, oil workers, and bakers—took to the streets. The protests underscore a deepening rift between the Iranian populace and a ruling establishment unable to provide basic livelihoods or safety.
While the regime continues to allocate vast resources to its security apparatus and regional proxies, the domestic economy remains in freefall. The events of this weekend reveal a population that is no longer asking for reforms but demanding their fundamental rights through direct action on the streets.
Students Reject the Monetization of Education
The unrest began on the evening of Saturday, December 13, at the University of Tehran. Students residing in the university dormitories gathered to protest the administration’s new welfare policies, which have resulted in skyrocketing costs for food and accommodation.
December 13—Tehran, Iran
Students at Tehran University Dorm Complex rallied over rising costs and neglected welfare services—citing expensive food and poor dorm conditions. #IranProtests pic.twitter.com/1pYy4VCWb1— People's Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI/MEK) (@Mojahedineng) December 14, 2025
Marching toward the dormitory complex’s main square, students challenged the narrative of budget deficits. The students specifically targeted the hypocrisy of a state that pleads poverty when it comes to student welfare while funding other priorities. Slogans such as “Hardworking student, shout for your rights” and “Dormitory and food are expensive, the student is thinking of bread” resonated through the campus.
This gathering follows a trajectory of dissent in higher education. Earlier in October, students at Khajeh Nasir Toosi University of Technology protested similar austerity measures, facing threats and summons from security agencies. The students at Tehran University have vowed to continue their protests if the new resolutions regarding dormitory restrictions are not revoked.
Retirees: “Enriching Our Lives is Our Absolute Right”
On Sunday morning, retirees from the Social Security Organization and the steel industry held coordinated rallies in Shush, Kermanshah, Isfahan, and Ahvaz. The slogans chanted by these pensioners have taken on an increasingly radical tone, moving beyond simple economic demands to target the legitimacy of the state’s management.
December 14—Shush, southwest Iran
Social Security Organization retirees marched and rallied outside the Social Security office over worsening livelihoods and unpaid/denied rights, demanding full benefits and an end to empty promises. They chanted, “Only in the streets we get our… pic.twitter.com/IkJEI0bbZ9— People's Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI/MEK) (@Mojahedineng) December 14, 2025
In Kermanshah, protesters shouted, “Inflation and high prices are theft from the people’s pockets.”
In Ahvaz, the capital of Khuzestan province, the mood was particularly defiant. Retirees gathered in front of the Social Security administration, chanting, “No threat, no prison, no execution stops us,” and “Death to managers, from Khuzestan to Tehran.” These slogans indicate that the regime’s traditional tools of suppression—imprisonment and the threat of capital punishment—are losing their efficacy as deterrents against a population pushed to the brink of starvation.
December 14—Kermanshah, western Iran
Social Security and state retirees rallied outside the Social Security office over crushing living costs and unprecedented price hikes, demanding dignified pensions and an end to inflation-driven impoverishment. #IranProtests pic.twitter.com/PK4bcsErrw— People's Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI/MEK) (@Mojahedineng) December 14, 2025
In Shush, the message was equally clear: “Only on the street will we get our rights,” rejecting any hope in government negotiations or parliamentary procedures.
The Plunder of National Wealth: Oil and Industrial Strikes
Simultaneously, the industrial heartland of Iran witnessed significant labor actions. In Khuzestan, contract workers at the North and South Azadegan oil fields rallied outside the governor’s office. Their grievance centers on the impending transfer of these oil fields from the state-run Arvandan Oil and Gas Company to a private entity, “Dasht Azadegan Arvand.”
The workers, numbering around 1,500, fear that this privatization is a prelude to mass layoffs and a loss of job security. They argue that the handover of these critical national assets to a newly established private company threatens both production and their livelihoods.
December 14—Ahvaz, southwest Iran
Contract oil workers from North & South Azadegan fields rallied outside Khuzestan’s Governor’s Office against transferring the fields to a private firm, warning it would block their long-promised job regularization and endanger the livelihoods of… pic.twitter.com/wpP73tXX7J— People's Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI/MEK) (@Mojahedineng) December 14, 2025
Meanwhile, in Fars province, workers at the Pasargad Alloy Steel Complex entered the second day of their strike. In Takab, workers at the Zareh Shuran Gold Mine gathered at the mine’s entrance, demanding an end to wage discrimination and the immediate payment of overdue benefits. Their banner read: “Enough is enough, we will no longer wait for the repetition of hollow promises.”
“Disposable” Lives: The Tragedy at Khusf
The disregard for worker safety under the current regime was highlighted by a tragic protest at the Khusf Cast Iron Factory. On Sunday morning, workers stopped work to protest the death of a 22-year-old colleague, who was killed in a road accident while commuting to the factory.
December 14—Khosf, northeast Iran
Workers at the Khosf cast-iron factory rallied after a fifth colleague died in a traffic accident, protesting unsafe conditions and demanding accountability and concrete measures to protect workers and prevent further fatalities.#IranProtests pic.twitter.com/dKL6RaZDQZ— People's Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI/MEK) (@Mojahedineng) December 14, 2025
This fatality was not an isolated incident; it was the fifth death of a worker from this specific factory in just one week due to unsafe transportation conditions. The workers stated that the lack of safe employer-provided transport forces them to use dangerous roads on motorcycles, treating their lives as expendable in the drive for production.
Empty Tables: The Bread Crisis
Perhaps the most visceral sign of the economic collapse was the protest of bakers in Ahvaz and Khomeini Shahr. Bakers gathered outside government buildings to protest reduced flour quotas and unpaid subsidies.
Bread is the primary staple for millions of Iranian families, yet the regime’s mismanagement has made it increasingly difficult for bakers to operate. In Ahvaz, protesters stormed into the governorate building, chanting a slogan that defines the current era of Iranian politics: “Promises are enough, our table is empty.”
December 14—Ahvaz, southwest Iran
Bakers rallied outside Khuzestan’s Governor’s Office over reduced flour quotas and unpaid subsidies/assistance payments, demanding immediate restoration and payments. Protesters chanted: “Enough promises—our tables are empty!”#IranProtests pic.twitter.com/NFUJEcmmoS— People's Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI/MEK) (@Mojahedineng) December 14, 2025
The events of December 14, 2025, paint a picture of a nation where every stratum of society is in conflict with the ruling state. Whether it is education applicants in Tehran demanding promised jobs, or oil workers fighting privatization in the south, the common thread is a realization that the regime is the primary obstacle to a dignified life. As the slogans in Ahvaz and Kermanshah suggest, the Iranian people are no longer afraid of threats or prisons.