In late July, a wave of widespread protests swept across Iran as citizens, pushed to the brink by chronic water and electricity shortages and a deepening economic crisis, took to the streets to voice their anger against the regime’s incompetence and corruption. From the northern provinces to the capital, and from industrial towns to rural villages, Iranians united in their demand for basic rights, holding the ruling establishment directly responsible for their suffering.
Nationwide fury over utilities crisis
The protests were ignited by severe and prolonged blackouts that crippled daily life and devastated local economies. On Saturday, July 26, a large crowd marched through the streets of Khoshkbijar in Gilan province, chanting, “Water, electricity, life, are our undeniable rights.” A day earlier, on July 25, residents of Barzanun village in Neyshabur blocked a main road to protest a long-term water cutoff that had left their livestock thirsty and destroyed their agricultural products.
The unrest continued throughout the week. In Khomam, Gilan, on Tuesday, July 29, residents chanted, “The water and power get cut, this happens every day,” condemning the regime’s failure to provide essential services.
July 29—Khomam, northern Iran
Residents of Khomam, Gilan province, protest water and electricity outages, chanting "We don't want incompetent officials" and "Water and electricity are cut off, this happens every day!"#IranProtestspic.twitter.com/XP1kZ55WGU— People's Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI/MEK) (@Mojahedineng) July 29, 2025
The crisis also sparked outrage in Iran’s industrial heartlands. In the Chahardangeh Industrial Town, on Monday, July 28, owners of factories and workshops held a protest after the regime announced a new plan for three-day weekly power cuts. They declared the decision “a fatal blow to production” and called on other industrial towns to join them in protest.
Similarly, in the Khorramdasht and Siahsang industrial areas east of Tehran, business owners protested the heavy damages to their production lines and the resulting unemployment. When the regime’s repressive police forces attempted to disperse them, they were met with firm resistance and forced to retreat.
Similar protests against water and electricity shortages were reported in the city of Anar in Kerman, Zarrin Dasht in Fars province, and Salehiyeh and Mehrshahr near Tehran. In Marivan, hardworking farmers protested a 10-day water outage that had decimated their crops, highlighting the devastating impact of the regime’s mismanagement on rural livelihoods.
Retirees and workers demand justice
Amid the blackouts, retirees continued their weekly protests against poverty-level pensions and the plundering of their retirement funds. On Sunday, July 27, retirees in Kermanshah gathered to chant slogans such as “Not the [Social Security] Organization, not the law, only the streets will do” and “Livelihood and dignity have been stolen from the nation.”
More footage of the protests by the retirees of the Social Security Organization in Kermanshah.#IranProtestspic.twitter.com/GdGMrs2bhu
— People's Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI/MEK) (@Mojahedineng) July 27, 2025
On the same day in Tehran, retired educators protested in front of the Ministry of Education, joined by retirees from the Social Security Organization, all demanding their fundamental rights after a lifetime of service.
Protests target regime’s corruption and broken promises
Protests also targeted other clear examples of the regime’s corruption and systemic failures. In Baladeh, Mazandaran province, residents protested destructive mining operations licensed by the regime, which have led to the deaths of several locals. They chanted, “Mine owner, have some shame, leave the mines alone,” condemning the plunder of their region’s natural resources.
In Shahrud, on July 27, applicants for the regime’s “National Housing” plan protested the disastrous project, citing endless delays and skyrocketing prices. They chanted, “Where did the housing for the deprived go?” A similar protest took place in Isfahan on July 28.
July 27—Shahrud, northeast Iran
Rally by applicants of the state-backed National Housing Movement, protesting lack of transparency and ambiguity in the process of delivering their homes.#IranProtests pic.twitter.com/RO2Oi7LjlY— People's Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI/MEK) (@Mojahedineng) July 27, 2025
Meanwhile, electricity operators in Tehran protested against systemic corruption, chanting, “Incompetent official, resign, resign.” In a sign of the widespread economic distress, bakers in Tehran gathered to protest the critical shortage of flour and the regime’s failure to provide subsidies, warning that the survival of their bakeries is at risk. Their placards read, “Where is the bakers’ subsidy?” and “Bakeries are on the verge of destruction.”