Truckers’ Strikes in Iran Morphing Into Anti-Government Protests

Truck drivers in Iran blocked roads and ports this week in ongoing strikes against poor working conditions, with the protests spreading across the country and attracting dissidents and other anti-government voices, the Associated Press reported.  

The strikes initially broke out last week in the southern port city of Bandar Abbas, one of the country’s main transportation and shipping hubs, over low salaries, high insurance premiums, poor road security, and high fuel prices. But now, they are growing and spreading across the country, attracting attention from those in other sectors and segments of society, the newswire wrote.  

Rich in oil and gas, Iran benefits from some of the lowest fuel prices in the world. Last week, however, the government announced plans to increase the price of fuel for trucks from 15 cents per gallon to about $1.90 per gallon by the end of June, setting off the protests. 

Iranian officials say the price hike is intended to avoid fuel smuggling into neighboring countries like Pakistan, where fuel is more expensive. But truckers say they can’t afford fuel, spare parts, or repairs. 

The strike underscores the mounting economic pressures on Iran as it struggles to secure relief from crippling sanctions in the ongoing negotiations with the United States. Iran’s oil sector, the lifeblood of its economy, has been damaged by the impact of American sanctions over Tehran’s nuclear program, and it is one of the central issues under discussion in the Iran-US negotiations. 

Meanwhile, analysts say Iran’s anti-government protests often start out as economic protests over local issues, such as those that broke out in 2019 after the government eliminated the subsidy for gasoline. More than 1,000 people were arrested in those protests. 

Mass protests that lasted months also erupted across the country in 2022 over the death of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini, who died after morality police detained her for improperly wearing her headscarf. 

According to Persian-language television channels based outside Iran, workers from other sectors have been striking as well, including bakers who are protesting early morning power cuts that are impeding their ability to bake bread, Le Monde reported.