Economic protests continued in Iran on Sunday with demonstrations by retired steel and mining industry workers in several cities, alongside strikes by oil and gas industry employees. Protesters chanted “Enough warmongering, our tables are empty,” criticizing various domestic and foreign policies of the Iranian regime.
According to citizen reports and social media posts on Sunday, January 5, retirees from various industries and organizations staged protests in several cities, including Isfahan, Rasht, Kermanshah, Ahvaz, Shush, and Bushehr.
Retirees from the Social Security Organization in Rasht protested against the neglect of their labor rights and the failure to meet their demands, chanting: “Cry out, cry out, against all this oppression.”
Retired protesters in Kermanshah chanted, “Looting the nation’s pockets under the slogan of justice,” denouncing the false promises of regime officials.
They also chanted “Enough warmongering, our tables are empty,” condemning the regime’s domestic and foreign policies and its role in fueling tensions and conflicts in the region.
A group of retirees from the Khuzestan steel industry held a “silent march” to protest the government’s failure to implement the pension adjustment law, which is supposed to adjust pensions to account for the changing costs of living.
Another group of retirees in Ahvaz protested against the Iranian regime’s focus on restricting women’s freedoms instead of addressing economic hardships, chanting: “Forget the headscarves, control inflation.”
Retired protesters in Shush, another city in Khuzestan province, chanted: “A retiree’s salary lasts only a week.”
In Isfahan, retired steel industry workers held protest marches with placards, demanding their labor rights be fulfilled.
In Bushehr, a group of retired teachers who had retired last year gathered in front of the provincial governor’s office to protest the “delayed end-of-service bonuses.”
Expansion of Economic Protests in Iran; Warning of Famine
Alongside pensioners’ economic protests, a group of workers from the Haft-Tappeh Sugarcane Company gathered in front of the Khuzestan province governor’s office in Ahvaz, insisting on their labor demands and chanting: “A worker may die but will not accept humiliation.”
Additionally, a group of applicants for the National Housing Plan in Ahvaz staged a protest in front of the Khuzestan governor’s office.
Employees of the Iran Ofoq Company at the Yadavaran oil field in Khorramshahr also held a protest to demand their unmet labor rights.
The expansion of economic protests comes as state media reported that Iran’s monthly minimum wage, which was approximately $113 in early 2024, has dropped to around $88 in the final months of the year due to ongoing currency fluctuations in January.
The growing labor protests among various groups—including retirees, workers from different industries, teachers, nurses, and healthcare staff—highlight the worsening economic hardships in Iran and authorities’ disregard for citizens’ demands.
In response to these protests, the regime has intensified security crackdowns and legal actions against independent labor activists, teachers, and retirees. Currently, several of these activists are imprisoned on security-related charges.
As the Iranian rial continues to depreciate against foreign currencies—especially the U.S. dollar, which recently surged to approximately 820,000 rials in the open market—Salman Zaker, a member of the Iranian regime’s Majlis (parliament) from Industry Commission, warned of potential famine, stating that if “economic imbalances persist at this level, famine could become a reality.”
