Protests against the mullahs' regime in Iran have been going on for weeks. The country's economy is now also suffering as a result. Strikes in the gas and oil industries currently being reported on social media could hit Iran far harder.
According to unconfirmed reports on social media, the ongoing unrest in Iran has also led to protests in the Iranian oil and gas industry in the south of the country. The reports also mentioned strikes at the Assalujeh refinery in the Persian Gulf. In unverifiable videos, workers shout slogans against the Islamic leadership, some of whom are said to have been arrested.
The government in Tehran has not yet commented on these protests. The Ilna news agency wrote that while there had been protests, they were related to the dismissal of 20 workers.
The protests were triggered by the death of the Iranian Kurd Mahsa Amini in police custody on September 16. The 22-year-old is said to have not worn her headscarf properly. While the protests were initially directed against the rigorous dress code that the Iranian leadership has imposed on women since the Islamic Revolution in 1979, demonstrators are now raising the issue of the system.
During the protests there was repeated talk of strikes. Videos showing closed shops were circulating on social media. In Tehran, bazaars, which are considered the capital's major economic hubs, have been open for the past few days. At times, however, they had to be closed earlier because of the protests and violent clashes between the police and demonstrators.
The Iranian economy is suffering from the protests. The massive internet restrictions have almost paralyzed online shops and because of the increasingly violent demonstrations, shops are reducing their opening hours. According to the Ministry of the Interior, more than 170 banks are said to have been damaged and numerous ATMs set on fire.
However, a strike in the oil and gas industry would still have a serious impact on the Iranian economy. Oil and gas exports are the theocracy's main source of income. Iran was already in an acute economic crisis before the protests began because of international sanctions in connection with the nuclear dispute. The national currency, the rial, continues to depreciate, and the rate of foreign exchange has increased tenfold since 2019. According to observers, after the violent crackdown on the demonstrators, a hoped-for end to the sanctions on an agreement in the nuclear dispute is off the table for the time being.
