New protests in Iran as economy heads for collapse

Iran faced new protests on Saturday, with hundreds of truck drivers gathering in front Mashhad city hall in Khorasan province, in protest against the increase in shipping tariff, low fares and the high cost amid the collapse of the economy.

Also in Esfahan city, truck drivers protested against the low wages and the increase in prices of spare parts

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“Our state is a center for thieves”

In Ahwaz, hundreds of workers from the companies in the National Steel Group took to the streets to protest against delay in their salaries for months, chanting “Our country is the thieves’ center. It has become a model in the world.”

The past few days have witnessed protests and strikes by workers, the unemployed and different segments of Iranian society against high prices and inflation amid the continuing collapse of the local currency.

On Friday, workers at the sugar cane complex in Hifat Tabah, northwest of Ahwaz, continued to protest against the non-payment of salaries, workers’ entitlements and insurance.

In the city of Yasuj, in central Iran, owners of kiosks in Friday’s public market gathered on Tuesday in front of the municipality to protest the closure of their stalls, saying that around 4,000 citizens get their income to support their families from selling their goods in this market.

In the city of Chagadak, in the province of Bushehr, southern Iran, hundreds of citizens gathered at night in front of the Water Authority to protest the lack of drinking water in the province, while the water shortage crisis started since 20 days ago.

On Thursday night, citizens gathered in the city of Mariwan to protest against corruption in the municipality as waste fills the streets, burning the garbage containers in protest.

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Warning of a severe wave of inflation

For his part, the former Under-Secretary of the Iranian Economy Ministry, Hussein Samsami, warned that the country will witness a severe wave of inflation in the coming months.

ISNA news agency quoted the former official as saying that “The inflation caused by the establishment of the secondary market for the currency has now started, and the prices of products such as milk, steel, iron, wood and many other materials have doubled,” he said.