The truckers' strike in Iran: an economic and social crisis in full swing
- Context and origins of the strike
- Demands and situation on the ground
- Current situation
- Reactions
- Risk assessment
- Conclusion
- Recommendations for the media:
It is one of the largest professional protest movements in recent decades.
The trigger was a deadly explosion in Bandar Abbas, which killed numerous drivers and destroyed their trucks. This tragedy sparked a wave of outrage in the road transport sector. Today, the strike threatens to bring the Iranian economy, already facing double-digit inflation, a collapsing national currency and systemic corruption, to a complete standstill, with repercussions that go far beyond professional demands.
Context and origins of the strike
- Start: 19 May 2025, strike by dozens of trucks in the port of Rajaie (Bandar Abbas).
- Cause: an explosion caused by the illegal and dangerous storage of solid propellant (belonging to the Revolutionary Guards) among civilian goods, without any safety measures.
- Spread: more than 130 cities in 30 provinces.
- Importance of the sector: road hauliers account for more than 90% of the country's freight transport, with some 900,000 drivers and 400,000 trucks in operation.
Demands and situation on the ground
The main demands of road hauliers:
- Reduction in the price of diesel and return to a preferential quota system
- Adjustment of transport tariffs in line with double-digit inflation
- Reduction in insurance and spare parts costs
- Eradication of the transport mafia
Current situation
- Serious disruptions at freight terminals and in supply chains
- Reports of fuel shortages in some regions
- Growing support from the population, particularly bakers, farmers and professionals affected by prolonged power cuts
- A banner hung on a pedestrian bridge in Tehran:
‘The truckers' strike rekindles hopes for a national uprising’
Reactions
Support
- Maryam Radjavi, leader of the Iranian Resistance:
‘As long as this regime remains in power, poverty, corruption and discrimination will persist. The only way forward is through protest and resistance to regain national sovereignty.’
- Solidarity expressed by professions affected by the economic crisis, particularly those exhausted by long and frequent power cuts.
Repression by the regime:
- Arrests and violence in Shiraz, Kermanshah, Kerman and Sanandaj
- Threats of licence cancellations, truck confiscations and physical violence
- Ineffective promises: offer of 500 litres of free fuel for non-strikers
- The Speaker of Parliament promised ‘immediate attention’ to the demands, without concrete measures
Official narrative:
Reza Akbari, Deputy Minister of Transport:
‘A minority of drivers are trying to sow chaos, manipulated by hostile media seeking to portray our roads as dangerous.’ (Semi-official ILNA agency, 26 May 2025)
Risk assessment
- Direct threat to economic stability, particularly for logistics chains
- Reinforcement of the legitimacy of social and political demands
- Real risk of escalation towards a national general strike
- The regime's inability to respond could intensify anti-regime movements
- Explosive context as nuclear negotiations continue: this strike becomes an additional pressure factor.
Conclusion
As the strike enters its second week, there are no signs of exhaustion. Drivers are showing unprecedented cohesion, turning their movement into an important political lever.
The regime's inability to respond to the roots of the crisis — inflation, systemic corruption, inequalities — makes this strike a potential catalyst for much broader protests, including a popular uprising similar to that of 2022, but on a larger scale.
Recommendations for the media:
- Closely monitor the evolution of the strike as a key indicator of social unrest.