In the past week, a surge of protests has swept across Iran, fueled by crippling power outages during a scorching summer, dire economic conditions, and the regime’s continued use of executions to silence dissent. From major cities to industrial hubs, Iranians from all walks of life have taken to the streets, their chants increasingly targeting the foundations of the clerical regime and its supreme leader, Ali Khamenei.
Nationwide fury over utility failures
The unbearable summer heat, combined with the regime’s gross mismanagement of the country’s infrastructure, has led to frequent and prolonged power and water outages, pushing citizens to their breaking point. In response, angry protests erupted in numerous cities.
On Friday, August 15, residents of Ramhormoz blocked the Seydun to Kohgiluyeh road to protest the regime’s diversion of water from the Alaa River. The regime’s suppressive security forces attempted to disperse the crowd but were met with fierce resistance and forced to retreat. On Saturday, the people of Babolsar rallied in front of the governor’s office to protest severe power cuts.
Similar protests were held in Aligudarz, where citizens warned against the plundering of their region’s water resources, and in Darian, Fars province, where protesters chanted, “Incompetent official, shame, shame!” In cities like Karaj, Shiraz, and Tehran, nightly protests have become a regular occurrence, with citizens breaking the curfew to chant anti-regime slogans such as “Death to the dictator” and “Death to Khamenei” from their rooftops and in the streets.
Labor unrest shakes key industries
Iran’s vital oil and gas sector, along with other industries, was the scene of significant labor unrest. On Sunday, August 17, contract workers in the Gachsaran oil and gas industry marched to protest their devastating living and employment conditions. The following day, employees at the Fajr Jam gas refinery chanted, “Illegitimate deductions must be abolished,” and “Employment contracts must be implemented.”
Workers at the Pars Oil and Gas Company in the energy hub of Asaluyeh and contract workers at Razi Petrochemical also held protests over their deteriorating livelihoods. In a show of solidarity, workers at the Iran Industrial Projects Management Company in Phase 14 of the South Pars gas field went on strike, demanding the reinstatement of 90 of their recently laid-off colleagues.
August 19—Mahshahr, southwest Iran
10th day of strikes and protests by contract workers of the Razi Petrochemical company. The protesters demand fair wages and an end to discriminatory policies.#IranProtests pic.twitter.com/zmSnlv4Ryk— People's Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI/MEK) (@Mojahedineng) August 19, 2025
Meanwhile, municipal workers in Zahedan and Bandar Mahshahr protested months of unpaid wages, with some reporting they had not received a salary in over five months. Workers at the Tazareh mine also rallied over unpaid wages and the regime’s failure to pay their insurance premiums.
Retirees continue their unwavering weekly protests
Retirees across the country continued their organized weekly protests against poverty-level pensions and the regime’s systemic corruption. In Isfahan, steel and mining retirees marched on Sunday, chanting, “Enough with the empty promises, our tables are empty.” In the scorching heat of Shush, Social Security retirees declared, “Our rights will only be achieved on the streets.”
In Tehran and Karaj, retirees gathered in front of the Social Security Organization, chanting, “Livelihood, dignity, are our inalienable rights.” In Ahvaz, protesters directed their anger at the regime’s destructive foreign policies, chanting, “Enough with the warmongering, our tables are empty.”
August 19—Kermanshah, western Iran
Retirees of the public sector, Social Security, telecommunications, and other sectors hold protest rally, demanding higher pensions, better living conditions, and the release of jailed activists and revocation of death sentences.#IranProtests pic.twitter.com/N3eIIkHQaD— People's Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI/MEK) (@Mojahedineng) August 19, 2025
On Monday, August 18, retirees from the Telecommunication Company of Iran held a major rally in Tehran, chanting the popular slogan, “Our enemy is right here, they lie when they say it’s America,” directly challenging the regime’s propaganda and identifying the ruling mullahs as the true source of the nation’s suffering.
Families of political prisoners demand an end to executions
The “No to Executions Tuesdays” campaign continued for its 82nd week on Tuesday, August 19, as political prisoners held hunger strikes inside prisons to protest the regime’s use of the death penalty. In solidarity, families of death-row political prisoners rallied to demand the annulment of the criminal sentences against their loved ones.
The families raised alarms about a group of prisoners who were transferred from the Greater Tehran Penitentiary to Ghezel Hesar Prison twelve days ago. Since the transfer, the prisoners have been held incommunicado, with regime authorities refusing to provide any information about their condition or whereabouts, fueling fears for their safety.
Protests against systemic corruption
Demonstrations against the regime’s institutionalized corruption were also prominent. Drivers of imported trucks held a protest in front of the Ministry of Industry, Mine and Trade, condemning the corrupt practices that have prevented their vehicles from being released from customs.
August 19—Tehran, Iran
Creditors of the Hakim housing continue protests in front of the Justice Ministry against corruption, stolen funds, and the government mafia meddling in their complaint dossier at the Judiciary.#IranProtestspic.twitter.com/SX4M9vhFl7— People's Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI/MEK) (@Mojahedineng) August 19, 2025
In a powerful display of defiance, victims of the defrauded Hakim residential project gathered in front of the main judiciary building in Tehran to protest the corruption and mafia-like influence within the mullahs’ judicial system. Fearing the protest would escalate, security forces attempted to suppress the rally but were forced to back down in the face of the protesters’ resistance.