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Retirees in Shush, southern Iran, protested on March 9, 2025
Protests continued to escalate across Iran as various sectors of society took to the streets to denounce government corruption, economic mismanagement, and repressive policies on March 9, 2025. From truck drivers to retirees, nurses, and oil workers, demonstrators voiced their outrage against the clerical regime’s failure to address their demands.
Tehran: Truck drivers from the Turkish border protested against corruption in the transportation and mining industries and demanded the release of their unlawfully seized trucks. Also, employees of Tehran University held a protest rally, chanting, “Unjust minister, resign, resign!”
Ahvaz, Shush, and Shushtar, southwest Iran: Retirees from the Social Security Organization rallied against low pensions and government corruption, demanding their rights.
Yazd, central Iran: Nurses demonstrated outside Yazd Medical Sciences University over low wages and poor working conditions.
Bibi Hakimeh Oil Field, southern Iran: Contract oil workers protested over the non-payment of their Nowruz bonuses and poor work conditions.
Rasht, northern Iran: Medical emergency staff protested, chanting, “Enough with the promises, our tables are empty.”
Mashhad, northeastern Iran: Mixer truck drivers went on strike over government fuel policies and low diesel rations.
Qaemshahr, northern Iran: Retirees from the steel industry gathered to demand pensions that reflect the soaring cost of living.
March 9—Tehran, Iran
Employees of Tehran University hold protest rally, chanting, "Unjust minister, resign, resign," and "University caretaker, resign, resign."#IranProtestspic.twitter.com/6IDXOoPNG8
— People's Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI/MEK) (@Mojahedineng) March 9, 2025
Retirees from the steel and mining sectors in Isfahan, central Iran, staged a protest to demand better living conditions and fair pensions. They chanted:
“Retiree, raise your voice, demand your rights!”
“Unity, unity against oppression and corruption!”
Despite heavy rainfall, retirees of the Social Security Organization in Kermanshah, western Iran, gathered in front of the local office, voicing their outrage over economic hardships and corruption. Their slogans included:
“Our rights will only be won in the streets!”
“They looted the pension fund and left us destitute!”
“Both the government and parliament lie to the people!”
“Gas, electricity, and livelihoods have been stolen from the people!”
“We will not live under oppression; we sacrifice for freedom!”
“Shame on this servitude!”
“Imprisoned teachers must be freed!”
“Imprisoned workers must be freed!”
“All political prisoners must be freed!”
Retirees from Alborz coal mines in Shahroud, northern Iran, joined the nationwide protests, raising their voices against low pensions and poor working conditions.
March 9—Rasht, northern Iran
Protest rally by medical emergency staff. Protesters are chanting, "Enough with the promises, our tables are empty."#IranProtestspic.twitter.com/jQc6xovzAk
— People's Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI/MEK) (@Mojahedineng) March 9, 2025
Oil industry contract workers from Arkan-e Sales in southern Gachsaran staged a mass protest against the authorities for failing to deliver on their promises. Protesters stated: “The New Year is near, yet none of the promised benefits have been fulfilled. Even our wages and holiday bonuses remain unpaid!”
Meanwhile, protests continue in Zahedan, southeastern Iran, where people gathered outside a police station, demanding the release of detained youth. Security forces responded with mass arrests, adding to the growing list of political prisoners in Iran.
Telecommunications workers in Mashhad and Piranshahr held rallies on March 8, denouncing poor working conditions, unpaid wages, and government mismanagement.
Harsh Crackdown and Repression
Reports indicate that authorities are intensifying their crackdown on protesters. In the city of Izeh, southern Iran, security forces surrounded and killed Aboul Kourkour, a well-known activist, during a violent standoff. Facing certain arrest and torture, Kourkour reportedly took his own life rather than fall into the hands of the regime’s security forces. His case echoes the fate of other dissidents in Izeh, such as Hussein Saeedi, Mahmoud Ahmadi, and Mostafa Ahmadpour, who were also killed after being surrounded by heavily armed regime forces.
March 9—Shush, southwest Iran
Retirees of the Social Security Organization rally to protest low pensions and government corruption.#IranProtests pic.twitter.com/19StFWvxO2
— People's Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI/MEK) (@Mojahedineng) March 9, 2025
Economic Hardship Fuels Unrest
Iran’s collapsing economy is exacerbating public anger. Mohsen Bagheri, a state-affiliated economist, admitted that while government revenues are in U.S. dollars, Iranian workers are paid in a devalued currency, making their wages worth a fraction of what they need to survive. He noted that workers’ wages in Turkey have increased to $630 per month, while Iranian laborers earn only a fraction of that despite skyrocketing inflation.
A government-affiliated newspaper, Ham-Mihan, warned that the combination of sanctions and the refusal to engage in negotiations has placed Iran on the brink of economic collapse. With the exchange rate fluctuating around 90,000 rials per dollar, inflation is projected to exceed 50%, further crippling the purchasing power of ordinary citizens.
The Bahar News website highlighted the deteriorating conditions in Tehran, where an increasing number of businesses are closing due to a lack of customers. The number of beggars and street vendors has surged, and conflicts over prime selling locations are becoming more frequent. The report also revealed that over 4.3 million motorcycles are now operating in the city, reflecting a rise in gig work as citizens struggle to make ends meet. Economist Mohammad Javad Mozaffar called this a sign of a “collapsed economy,” where poverty has become widespread, pushing millions into unproductive, menial labor.
March 9—Qaemshahr, northern Iran
Retirees of the steel industry resume weekly protest rallies in front of the offices of the Steel Retirement Fund in Mazandaran to reiterate their demands for higher pensions according to the rising costs of living.#IranProtests pic.twitter.com/WqhGWLNWej
— People's Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI/MEK) (@Mojahedineng) March 9, 2025
A Regime Losing Control
Despite the regime’s violent crackdowns, the continuation of nationwide protests demonstrates a deep and growing discontent across all layers of Iranian society. The clerical dictatorship is losing its grip as more people rise against its corruption, brutality, and economic mismanagement. The protests are no longer isolated incidents but rather a nationwide movement demanding systemic change.