Iran Protests: Oil and Petrochemical Workers Join Nationwide Anti-Government Rallies, Possibly Crippling the Islamic Republic

Iran's petroleum-rich region of Bushehr on the Persian Gulf saw a labor strike on Monday, with workers shouting, "Down with the dictator," a reference to Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei.

Oil is an industry vital to Iran, and the labor strikes might seriously harm the Islamic Republic's economy, according to an expert.

Videos of Protests Surface Online Despite Restrictions

Fox News cited Alizera Nader, an Iran labor expert, stating that the three weeks of unrest and widespread walkouts in the oil, gas, and petrochemical industries pose an "existential threat" to the Iranian government.

Nader suggested that the United States and other Western countries "set up a striking fund to support workers and their families." He has written extensively on labor unions and worker discontent as a means of overthrowing the religious government.

The death of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini by the Islamic Republic of Iran's morality police for allegedly not covering her hair has sparked widespread protests across the country. Iranian authorities maintain Amini was not abused, but her family believes she died due to beatings.

Abadan, in the Khuzestan Province, is one of Iran's most extensive oil and petrochemical centers, and its workers have also been on strike, CBS News reported. As the Iran protests enter their fourth week, videos have appeared online from Tehran and other cities despite government attempts to stifle the internet.

Videos posted online on Monday showed students from universities and high schools protesting, with some women marching without head coverings. The Associated Press examined online footage showing scores of workers congregating at the massive natural gas refineries in Asaluyeh, located about 575 kilometers south of Tehran on the Persian Gulf. The facility receives natural gas from the offshore natural gas reservoir that Iran and Qatar jointly operate.

Protesters Ready For a 'Bloody' Moment

A video shows a group of employees, some of whom have their faces covered, chanting "shameless" and "death to the dictator."

Protesters, who refused to call Iran's Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei an ayatollah, yelled, "This is the bloody year Seyyed Ali will be overthrown." The Iranian Supreme Leader has repeatedly ordered his security forces to use firearms to restrain unarmed protesters.

Iran denied there was any disturbance, but the semiofficial Tasnim news agency claimed it was about salaries. After the United States and Russia, Iran is among the major global exporters of natural gas.

Videos of Iran protests also show employees striking at Abadan, formerly home to the biggest oil refinery in the world. The Center for Human Rights in Iran in New York reported a statement purportedly issued by the Contractual Oil Workers Protest Organizing Council, which demanded a strike in response to government oppression and killings.

According to human rights organizations, security forces have murdered at least 185 people, including 19 minors, wounded hundreds more, and imprisoned thousands more. Iranian authorities claimed that at least 20 members of the security forces died during the protests, which they blamed on Iran's rivals.

Analysts say Iran's clerical rulers will likely control the upheaval as of now, and a new political system is unlikely to emerge soon, as per a Reuters report.

Tags

Iran, Middle East, Hijab, Economy, Women's rights, Labor