Economic Protests in Iran; Several Protesters Arrested During Retirees' Gathering in Tehran

Economic protests in Iran continued with gatherings of retirees from various sectors, including government, telecommunications, and social security in Kermanshah, as well as protests by retirees of Bank Mellat in Tehran, where several were arrested following a police crackdown. According to reports received by Voice of America and shared on social media, a number of retirees gathered on Tuesday, June 18, in front of the National Retirement Fund in Kermanshah to protest their living conditions and the lack of attention to their demands. The protesting retirees held placards with slogans such as 'Both Parliament and Government lie to the people,' 'National, Military, Social Security, Unity, Unity,' 'Livelihood and Healthcare, worse than ever,' and 'Livelihood Dignity is our legitimate right,' expressing their grievances regarding their economic and welfare situation. They also called on other citizens to join their protest, chanting, 'Our pain is your pain, people join us.' Meanwhile, a group of retirees from Bank Mellat who gathered in front of the bank's headquarters in Tehran to demand attention to their issues faced a violent response from law enforcement officers, resulting in several arrests and their transfer to the Abbasabad police station. One protester stated that government agents arrested retirees who had served for 30 years in the 'ugliest and most heinous manner,' while the report mentioned two of the arrested retirees by name: 'Karimian and Binayi.' Economic protests in Iran persist amid reports that the Islamic Republic government has not only failed to control inflation but has also broken an 80-year record, with inflation rates exceeding 52%. According to a resolution from the Supreme Labor Council, the minimum wage for married workers with children has increased by about two million tomans to approximately 11 million tomans this year; however, this wage is not paid to workers who are not covered by labor law. In recent days, Jamshid Asadi, an economist, emphasized in an interview with the Persian section of Voice of America that the poverty line in Iran is rising, attributing the main obstacle to production in the country to a lack of capital. Protests by retirees in cities across Iran have resumed, highlighting the government's failure to address economic grievances.