Retirees Protest in 6 Cities in Iran: What Happened to the Wealthy Country?

Simultaneously with the dismissal of the Minister of Economy, protests over living conditions by retirees took place in at least six cities in Iran on Sunday, March 3. The protesters demanded attention to their livelihood situation and the fulfillment of their professional demands. According to reports received by Voice of America and published on social media on Sunday, March 3, a group of retirees from various institutions, including the Social Security Organization and the steel and mining industries, held a protest rally in Tehran, Rasht, Kermanshah, Isfahan, Ahvaz, and Shush, calling for the fulfillment of their professional rights. Retired protesters in Tehran chanted, "Incompetent official, shame, shame." In Rasht, retirees demanded the release of imprisoned workers and teachers. Protesters in Kermanshah shouted, "Shout, shout, from all this oppression." In Shush, one of the cities in Khuzestan province, protesting retirees recalled the economic prosperity of Iran before the 1979 revolution, chanting, "What happened to the wealthy country?" In Ahvaz, retirees also demanded the release of imprisoned activists, chanting, "Imprisoned protesters must be freed." A group of retirees from the steel and mining industries also marched in Isfahan, demanding equalization of retirees' wages. Concurrently with these livelihood protests, which have taken place in at least five provinces in Iran, the Islamic Consultative Assembly voted to dismiss Abdolnaser Hemmati, the Minister of Economic Affairs and Finance of the Islamic Republic. Some observers emphasized that Hemmati's impeachment and dismissal indicate that "Khamenei has moved one of his pieces" and stated that his presence or absence would have "no" impact on the future of Iran's economy. Observers have predicted that the economic collapse of the Islamic Republic in Iran will accelerate under the maximum pressure of the U.S. government. Meanwhile, the government has announced the return of the coupon era, and a government-affiliated politician has stated that actions should be taken like in the early years of the war. Following the worsening livelihood crisis for Iranian citizens, economist Siamak Javadi recently told the Persian section of Voice of America that the Islamic Republic is pursuing "the advancement of Shia ideological goals" and is spending Iran's wealth on the "Shia community" in the region instead of investing in the country. According to Siamak Javadi, the livelihood problems for the people of Iran are occurring "deliberately" and are not due to mismanagement, and "all policies are against national interests," with the Islamic Republic's priorities being in Islamic propaganda, the seminary, and the repressive apparatus, rather than the livelihoods of Iranians.