With sanctions biting into Iran, the regime has stopped paying workers, even though it still appears to support terrorists. Many workers have received no pay for months.
Iranian government officials have been trying to downplay the effects of U.S. sanctions that restarted after president Trump cancelled the agreement reached with the Obama administration. Donald Trump said it was the worst possible agreement, because it gave Iran hundreds of millions of dollars, allowing it to continue its malign hegemony in the region. Also, it did nothing to prevent Iran’s weapons testing, arms shipments to terrorists and did not stop them pursuing nuclear capability.
In Iran’s southwestern province of Khuzestan, workers have been protesting the lack of pay. Iranian authorities have detained four of the protesting workers.
As the situation worsened, demonstrators at the Haft Tapeh Sugar Cane Mill were joined by more people coming out in solidarity with the workers.
Gholamreza Shariati, the governor of Khuzestan appeared to support the striking workers. The Associated Press reported that the governor said “workers have rights, we are looking into their issues and demands,”.
Iran’s economic crisis is obviously getting worse, and the Iranian people are paying for their government’s recalcitrance.
In other places, truck drivers have been on strike, crippling transportation and placing extra pressure on the government. In retaliation, the Iranian Government started arresting truck drivers in different cities. They also started using state-run trucks as strike breakers. By the end of September, at least 60 truck drivers were reported to be arrested in a number of cities throughout Iran.
