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Disabled citizens protest outside the Presidential Palace in Tehran over neglected rights – March 12, 2025
Iran is witnessing an escalating wave of protests and strikes across multiple cities as economic collapse, unpaid wages, and government mismanagement fuel widespread unrest. From health workers and emergency personnel to oil workers and disabled citizens, various sectors of society have taken to the streets, demanding long-overdue payments, fair wages, and an end to the regime’s corruption and neglect.
In Arak, central Iran, nurses went on strike on March 12, condemning the regime’s failure to address their worsening working conditions and stagnant wages. In Tabriz, northwest Iran, medical staff and emergency responders held protests, denouncing unpaid salaries and worsening living conditions. Protesters chanted, “Justice! Justice!” and demanded immediate government action.
In Tehran, disabled citizens gathered in front of the Presidential Palace, protesting the government’s refusal to implement existing laws guaranteeing them financial support. Protesters held signs reading, “Enough oppression! Our tables are empty!” in a desperate call for their basic rights.
In Lavan, southern Iran, workers of the Iranian Offshore Oil Company resumed their protests, demanding fair wages, proper job classifications, and changes to corrupt company management. This marks another round of unrest in Iran’s energy sector, where workers face exploitative contracts and hazardous conditions without adequate compensation.
March 11—Tehran, Iran
Disabled people hold protest rally in front of the Presidential palace, protesting the government's refusal to implement a law that requires providing the basic needs of disabled people who can't work. #IranProtestspic.twitter.com/zF6IaFdxa9
— People's Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI/MEK) (@Mojahedineng) March 12, 2025
Additional protests broke out across the country:
Mashhad—Disgruntled shareholders of Padideh Company rallied, condemning financial mismanagement and demanding their stolen investments.
Dehloran—Emergency medical staff walked out in protest, citing low wages and dire working conditions.
Kermanshah and Sarpol-e Zahab—Employees of the Ministry of Agriculture staged protests over unpaid wages.
Qazvin—Frustrated homebuyers protested the government’s failed National Housing Plan, accusing authorities of fraud and mismanagement.
March 11 saw more demonstrations against economic mismanagement. In Tehran, workers, traders, and public sector employees staged protests, demanding action against the rising costs of living.
Oil and gas workers in Kanganand South Pars Gas Field joined the protests, calling for a 70% wage increase to compensate for skyrocketing inflation.
March 11—Lavan, southern Iran
Workers of the Iranian Offshore Oil Company resume protests demanding for changes to the wage determination policies, job classification, company management, and other basic needs.#IranProtests pic.twitter.com/WqvqlFlMR8
— People's Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI/MEK) (@Mojahedineng) March 12, 2025
The government’s response to these protests has been marked by repression rather than resolution. Security forces were deployed to disperse demonstrators, and in some cases, plainclothes agents violently attacked protestors.
Beyond protests, the deepening economic despair is pushing Iranians to desperate acts. In Zanjan, the city’s mayor confirmed that a municipal worker set himself on fire at his workplace after his repeated pleas for unpaid wages and job security were ignored. He later succumbed to his injuries.
Meanwhile, outrage is growing over the astronomical rise in food prices. The government has announced a 180% increase in the price of oranges and a 112% rise in the price of apples ahead of the Persian New Year (Nowruz). However, real market prices far exceed official rates, with oranges selling for over 100,000 tomans per kilogram—a price that most Iranians simply cannot afford.
The latest wave of protests underscores a deepening crisis within the clerical regime, which is struggling to contain mounting public anger. As the government prioritizes its survival over addressing economic grievances, more sectors of society are mobilizing against corruption and mismanagement. With living conditions worsening and crackdowns intensifying, the regime faces a growing challenge in suppressing a people determined to reclaim their rights.