Iran Arrests Truck Drivers as Nationwide Strike Gains Support
Iran’s truck drivers’ strike entered its ninth day on Friday with widespread support from labor groups, activists, and political figures as authorities arrested protesters and major transport routes remained largely deserted.
The Truck Drivers Union reported that the strike had spread to 130 cities, with 11 drivers arrested in Kermanshah province.
Heavy vehicle traffic was notably absent on major roads in Tehran, Ahvaz, Qazvin, Mashhad, and Naein.
Nearly 200 organizations issued a statement in support of the truckers, calling for “international boycotts of Iran similar to those imposed on apartheid South Africa.”
Teachers’ unions in Fars province and Islamabad-e-Gharb also backed the strike. The Fars Teachers’ Association described it as “an undeniable right of every Iranian citizen” and condemned the security crackdowns as violations of constitutional rights.
Eleven labor organizations, including oil workers’ councils and retired workers’ unions, described nationwide strikes as “the only available solution” to workers’ problems.
The Iran Labor Confederation, based abroad, urged the International Labour Organization to expel Iranian representatives and demanded the release of imprisoned labor activists.
Nobel Peace Prize laureate Narges Mohammadi released an audio message in support of the protests, calling them “civil demonstrations.”
She said, “The truckers’ protest is a civil demonstration where they are crying out for their demands and rights. Since the Islamic Republic does not respond to people’s legitimate demands and instead responds with repression and violence, I believe all sectors of society and trades should join this strike and support it.”
Toomaj Salehi, a protest singer, rapper, and former political prisoner, also expressed support for the strike, writing, “Strike is one of the most peaceful methods of protest. Shahab Darabi should be freed. The problem will not be solved with batons or handcuffs.”
Filmmaker Jafar Panahi, a recent Palme d’Or winner at Cannes, posted on Instagram that truckers “have no choice but to strike.”
The strikes, initially triggered by increases in insurance premiums and fuel prices, have since evolved into a broader protest against the government’s economic policies.
The Truck Drivers Union said that protests will continue until all demands are met.
iran wire