Nationwide Strike Begins in Kurdistan and Kermanshah Provinces

According to videos sent to Voice of America, as nationwide protests continue in Iran, a new wave of strikes by shopkeepers began in several cities of Kurdistan and Kermanshah provinces starting Thursday, January 8, 2025. These strikes encompass the cities of Sanandaj, Ilam, Divandareh, Marivan, Boukan, Qorveh, and Baneh, with reports indicating widespread closure of businesses in these areas. Human rights organizations Hengaw and Hana Human Rights reported that the shopkeepers' strike in Kurdistan and Kermanshah provinces began in a coordinated manner on Thursday morning. These organizations stated that calls for the strike had been circulated on social media two days prior. Meanwhile, the protests against the Islamic Republic have now entered their twelfth day. On the eleventh day of protests, numerous cities across Iran witnessed demonstrations, including Falavarjan, Mashhad, Tehran, Bandar Abbas, Shiraz, Nishapur, Lordegan, Abadan, Rasht, Bojnourd, Qazvin, Kerman, Gilan-e Gharb, Hamadan, Aligudarz, Boroujen, Astara, Chaboksar, Hasarak in Karaj, Zahedan, Firuzkuh, Mehran, Bandar Kangan, Tonekabon, Chenaran, Sabzevar, Abhar, Khorramdarreh, Arsanjan, Ashkhaneh, Fariman, Fasa, and Saqqez. Protesters' slogans varied greatly, including a newly coined slogan 'Khamenei the murderer, deluded thought' which was heard in several cities following Elon Musk's reaction to one of Ali Khamenei's tweets. As the protests expand, internet experts report that disruptions in Iran's internet have increased over the past 24 hours; an action that observers say aims to limit communication and information dissemination among protesters. The Persian account of the U.S. State Department on Wednesday posted a message titled 'Sinar for the people of Iran, billions of dollars for terror,' calling the monthly payment of $7 to each Iranian to reduce public discontent 'offensive,' and stating: 'The regime has sent over $1 billion to Hezbollah in just ten months. Iranians are told there is no money for their basic needs, but the Islamic Republic spares no expense in financing foreign terrorist groups. This clear double standard shows where the real priorities of the Islamic Republic lie, and they are certainly not with the people of Iran.' The U.S. State Department also appreciated the action of an individual who symbolically changed the name of a street in Tehran to Trump, stating: 'The United States respects the voice of the Iranian people and their aspirations and remains committed to supporting their efforts to achieve freedom, prosperity, and more opportunities.' Meanwhile, the majority of the House Foreign Affairs Committee in the U.S. wrote on X on Wednesday, January 8, that 'the people of Iran have bravely risen against a repressive regime.' The message also warned that if the Tehran government violently suppresses peaceful protesters, 'justice will be swiftly served.' Concurrently, Lindsey Graham, a senior Republican senator from South Carolina, warned Ali Khamenei directly in an interview with Fox News that Donald Trump is not like Barack Obama, and if the Islamic Republic continues to massacre its people, it will face serious repercussions. He addressed the Iranian people, saying: 'We stand with you tonight and support you in reclaiming your country from the ayatollahs, these religious Nazis who kill you and terrorize the world.'