Protests spread across Iran on Tuesday, March 11, as workers, stock traders, and students demonstrated against worsening economic conditions, government corruption, and security crackdowns.
In Tehran, the nation’s capital, employees of Iran Khodro, the country’s largest state-backed car manufacturer, staged a protest over poor working conditions and unfair wages. Nearby, staff at Razi Hospital rallied in front of the Health Ministry, demanding better pay and improved work conditions amid severe shortages and delays in salary payments.
Students at Khajeh Nasir University in Tehran launched a sit-in after security forces shut down the Rezai Nejad campus parking lot. Protesters condemned the move as an unnecessary restriction and raised concerns about growing insecurity around dormitories due to rising theft and violent incidents. University officials were forced to address the demonstrators but failed to offer concrete solutions.
Stock traders in Tehran shut down operations at the Trading Hall (Talare Bourse), protesting manipulation of the stock market and fake indexing that has led to major financial losses. Traders accused authorities of rigging the stock exchange to cover up economic failures.
In Mashhad, northeast Iran, employees of the Telecommunications Company of Iran (TCI) continued their fourth consecutive day of strikes, protesting against unpaid wages and deteriorating workplace conditions. The strike has gained momentum in multiple provinces, signaling growing labor unrest.
In Tabriz, northwest Iran, nurses and medical staff at Mardani Azar Hospital staged a protest, chanting, “Without nurses, the system will collapse” and rejecting the government’s proposed wage adjustments. Healthcare workers, who have been on the front lines amid collapsing hospital infrastructure, denounced the regime’s continued neglect of their demands.
In Isfahan, central Iran, farmers mobilized a convoy of tractors in protest, demanding their rightful share of water from the Zayandeh Rud River, which has been drained due to mismanagement and government-backed water diversion projects. Protesters vowed to keep moving toward Isfahan city, highlighting their ongoing struggle for water access and agricultural survival.
Public outrage over state violence also intensified after reports surfaced of Farshad Maqami (Behdarvand), a 30-year-old from Lanjan in Isfahan Province, being shot dead by security forces in Tehran without prior warning. Authorities claimed he was suspected of carrying contraband, but eyewitnesses refuted the claim, describing the incident as another case of state-sponsored brutality.
These protests highlight a deepening governance crisis in Iran, with multiple sectors rising against the regime’s failures. Economic collapse, corruption, and violent crackdowns are fueling unrest, and as state repression intensifies, Iran faces mounting resistance from workers, students, and traders unwilling to remain silent.