Protests, Bazaar Strike Show Anger Over High Prices In Iran

The pensioners took to streets in the capitals of many provinces such as Tabriz, Gilan, and Kermanshah, while several cities across the southwestern oil-rich Khuzestan province, including Ahvaz, Dezful, Abadan, and Shushtar, were also scenes of similar protests. 

The enraged protesters chanted slogans such as “Death to Raisi” and "Shame on you incompetent minister”, against the government and “empty promises” by authorities.

Retirees are demanding pension increases in par with rising prices of essential foods, saying that the current payments are not in line with decrees by the Supreme Labor Council, which had stipulated a 38-percent increase in the minimum wage.

The protests occurred as the government spokesman Ali Bahadori Jahromi said in a tweet on Sunday that the minimum wage for retirees covered by the Social Security Organization has risen by 57 percent, calling it “one of the largest increases in 20 years and nearly 20 percent above the official inflation rate.”

With food prices rising faster after four years of United States’ ‘maximum pressure’ sanctions, Iranian workers and retirees and workers have been holding regular protests or strikes to demand higher salaries. 

Moreover, the collapse of a ten-story Metropol building in Abadan in May has sparked anti-government rallies that have spread to other cities in the southwestern Khuzestan province and elsewhere.

The Washington protest was held at the former building of the Iranian embassy and called by dissident singer-songwriter Arash Sobhani, a blues musician who has been an active advocate of human rights and democracy in Iran and has delivered speeches about Iranian social issues in various universities, including Harvard, Stanford, and University of California Irvine. 

During the event, Sobhani performed some of his original works, which are usually themed around the cultural and political issues in the Islamic Republic, as well as some cover songs about Iran, which were accompanied by the participating crowd. 

The gathering in Toronto was organized by Hamed Esmailioun, who is the flagbearer for the victims of the downing of Ukrainian Airlines Flight PS752 in January 2020 by the Revolutionary Guard, where he himself lost his wife and daughter. 

"Iran is ruled by the turban-wearing criminals and bloodthirsty revolutionary guards," Esmailioun said during his speech at the demonstration.

In both gatherings, people expressed solidarity with the people of Abadan, whose mourning ceremonies for the victims of the collapsed ten-story Metropol twin towers in May have turned into anti-government protests and spread to other cities of the southwestern Khuzestan province as well as other cities across the country.

“Although we tremble from sorrow but abound with anger; our heart is with you Abadan and we will not let them trample on the truth,” Esmailioun added. 

"Today, the enemies' most important hope for striking a blow at the country is based on popular protests... But the enemies' calculation is as wrong as many earlier ones," Khamenei said in his televised speech.

He also attacked “traitors” of Iranian descent who give “wrong advice” to the Americans about conditions the Islamic Republic faces.

Iranian opposition and activists in the United States and Europe have become much more vocal and organized in recent years, partly because of rising dissent inside Iran and bloody government crackdowns.

Khamenei was speaking on the death anniversary of Ruhollah Khomeini, the founder of the Islamic Republic and one day after Iran’s exiled crown prince Reza Pahlavi called for unity to overthrow the clerical regime.

Khamenei apparently could not help but see the political irony and implicitly warned that after the French Revolution, monarchy and decendants of the royal family returned to power in France.

The aging authoritarian ruler of Iran has in the past sharply condemned mass anti-government protests when they occurred in 2017-2018 and in November 2019, always seeing the hand of ‘enemies’ and calling ordinary protesters people who have been deceived.

Protests reignited in early May when the government of President Ebrahim Raisi scrapped billion of dollars in food import subsidies and overnight doubled and tripled prices for essential food items such as bread and cooking oil.

These protests were met with the overwhelming force of the Islamic Republic's security forces that have tens of thousands of specially trained troops to crack down on any show of dissent. But hardly the price protests had died down when on May 23 a 10-story building collapsed in the oil-rich Khuzestan province killing close to 40 people.

Accusations and evidence of corruption that had allowed the owner to ignore regulations and building codes ignited protests in several cities in the province and elsewhere.

A general perception of constant government failures, endemic corruption and a losing battle against economic chaos has gripped Iran in the past few months, exacerbated by events in May.

Tehran’s refusal to compromise in nuclear talks with the West and lift United States economic sanctions has added to the perception of a downward spiral. Even in government-controlled media warnings of a deteriorating situation can be seen daily, while outlets under direct government control or affiliated with the Revolutionary Guard try to present a rosier picture.

In what could be seen as a manifestation of Khamenei’s constant denials about the crisis facing his rule, he claimed that popular support for “the revolution” today is stronger than when the monarchy was overthrown in 1979.

Khamenei, however, implicitly acknowledged that the building collapse in Abadan was a disturbing event, although he attributed its highly negative impact on the public to the “enemy”. This was presumably a reference to Persian speaking media and television stations based abroad that beam news and information into Iran, contributing to public awareness and debate.

“Today, the enemy seeks to destroy [the reputation] of revolutionary officials,” Khamenei said, adding that “those responsible for sabotage must be punished.”

During a press conference in Washington on Friday, Pahlavi said the current regime will fall in the near future but the transition to a new country needs a center to guide and concentrate democratic forces against the Islamic Republic.

He began a short speech expressing sympathy with the families of the victims who died in the collapse of Abadan’s Metropol building last month, which triggered protests in the southwestern province of Khuzestan and several other cities. He also paid tribute to victims of protests in the first half of May when the government raised food prices that led to days of demonstrations in towns and small cities.

Although the Pahlavi dynasty was toppled more than 43 years ago, many protesters in Iran chant slogans in support of monarchy, the dynasty and its founder Reza Shah, who began Iran’s modernization one hundred years ago. The popular support has elevated the political standing of the prince, but he has not campaigned for claiming the throne.

Corruption and mismanagement

Reza Pahlavi added that inefficiency and corruption in the Islamic Republic are not limited to one entity, city, or one group and is not limited to a particular period, noting that the whole country is suffering from disasters.

He mentioned the downing of Ukrainian Airlines Flight PS752 in January 2020 by the Revolutionary Guard and pointed at restrictions in the import of vaccines in the fist half of 2021 that led to thousands of unnecessary deaths, as examples of the disasters resulting from wrong policies or mismanagement of the government.

Khamenei ruled out importing United States- and British-made Covid-19 vaccines in January 2021, arguing that Iran was well placed to develop its own vaccines or should take them from more “reliable” sources. At the time, the US-German Pfizer, US-made Moderna and the British-made AstraZeneca were the only vaccines approved internationally.

Pahlavi added that today the biggest opposition and alternative to Islamic Republic is the Iranian people, who deserve to live in the best country and will reach their goal.

The exiled prince said the people are more united than ever and are standing with empty hands against their corrupted enemy. The priority of the country at this juncture is forming a central authority that can organize the protests to pave the path to victory against the Islamic Republic.

Calling on the army to stand with the people

He also urged the armed forces and officials who oppose the Islamic Republic but are working within the government to help disrupt the repression machine, saying a regime that cannot provide food for its people will not survive, and warned all those who are cooperating with the Islamic Republic’s crackdown to join the people.

His most forceful comment came when he said, “The current regime in Iran will be gone one day; even the USSR with so many nuclear warheads was toppled. Don’t bet on a losing horse, and don’t think you will be able to evade justice later,” he added.

The exiled prince went on to address the country’s traditional army, the Artesh, appreciating them for protecting the people against foreign enemies, and telling them that now it is time to protect the people from the common enemy within.

The traditional army’s command is dominated by the ideological Revolutionary Guard which is loyal to Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, but many still hope the army can play a role one day to support the people.

He also called on Iranian expatriates to help the world hear the demands of the Iranian people, through sharing news from Iran in different languages and informing the governments of their countries about ongoing events in Iran.

“The most important thing I do in response to the Iranian people’s trust is to reinforce their voices. I don’t tell them what to do. I’m not a political leader,” Pahlavi said.

Underlining that those who live in the country know what they need better than anyone else, he stated, “The smart slogans the people chant indicate that they have identified both the problem and the solution.”

He added that Iran’s future is bright as all Iranians no matter their ethnicity are standing together in unity and solidarity, saying that “Our unity today guarantees our prosperity tomorrow.”

Unlike normal visits by the president to other cities, which are usually announced beforehand so local authorities can organize state-sponsored welcoming ceremonies, the Friday junket was without the presence of people except for his security detail and a couple of city officials. 

Protests began last week, when the 10-story Metropol building collapsed, leaving nearly 40 people dead and dozens missing. It quickly became apparent that the owner and builder was a powerful and well-connected businessman who had disregarded regulations and building codes, being backed by officials, who might have had their own financial interests.

He also visited homes of some families of the victims of the disaster that triggered protests in Abadan as well as in several other cities across the oil-rich Khuzestan province who have been taking to the streets to demand accountability.

During the visit, Raisi said people have the right to expect investigation into corruption and some businessmen's connections with authorities that led to the Abadan incident, adding that they should be dealt with quickly.