Continued Strike and Closure of Gold Markets in Several Cities in Iran

Some sources have reported the continuation of strikes and closures of gold markets in several cities, including Tehran and Mashhad. According to the Telegram channel 'Civil Protest of the Market', gold markets in Tehran and Mashhad were also closed on Saturday, June 5. The requirement for gold sellers to register their inventory in the 'Comprehensive Trade System' has led to a new wave of strikes among merchants in this sector across several major cities in Iran in recent weeks. Nader Bazarpash, the head of the Tehran Gold and Jewelry Union, pointed out the 'unfavorable conditions' for businesses, stating that the production of gold and jewelry in the country has been less than 10 percent since the beginning of this year. In further discussions with the ISNA news agency, this union official announced the complete reopening of the gold market from the middle of last week. Meanwhile, reports indicate that government agents attempted last week to force merchants in this sector to reopen their shops through threats, intimidation, and the sealing of gold shops. Nader Bazrafshan had announced in late May that 'based on an agreement made with the Anti-Smuggling Headquarters and the Ministry of Industry, Mine and Trade', the regulations for inventory registration would be limited to three groups: producers, importers, and exporters. The 'initial agreement' was supposed to be sent to all chambers of commerce in Iran through the Ministry of Industry, Mine, and Trade after being approved by the President. With the death of Ebrahim Raisi, the fate of this agreement has also become uncertain. However, at that time, members of the Islamic Consultative Assembly had opposed the government's action to exempt gold sellers from registration in the Comprehensive Trade System. The protests of gold sellers against the government's order for registration in the Comprehensive Trade System in the second half of last year also led to strikes that ended with government promises to address the issues. Mehdi Jalali, a member of the Babol Gold and Jewelry Union, noted in an article in the Shargh newspaper on Wednesday that the conflict between the government and the gold and jewelry sector relates to issues such as the requirement for gold sellers to accurately register all gold assets, ambiguity in data security assuming information is entered into the government system, and the obligation for gold sellers to obtain national IDs from buyers. According to this gold and jewelry sector activist, about 100,000 people are employed in gold production workshops in Iran, and the continuation of strikes will cause significant problems for about two million family members of those active in this sector. The strikes of gold sellers in Mashhad are in protest against registration in the 'Comprehensive Trade System'. The continuation of strikes among gold sellers amid disputes between the government and the Islamic Consultative Assembly persists. The strikes in the gold market; the conflict between goldsmiths and the government continues. The strikes of gold sellers continue in at least five cities in Iran.