Iranian students abroad hits record high as hope for change fades

Employees of Fajr Jam Gas Refinery, continuing a month-long series of protests, gathered in front of their administration building in Asaluyeh, southern Iran, to demand action on their grievances.

Contract workers at Gachsaran Oil and Gas Company, a subsidiary of National Iranian South Oil Company (NISOC), staged a protest over unfair wages, job security concerns, and livelihood issues, accusing Iran’s oil and gas sector of discriminatory practices

Drivers from Ahwaz Rolling & Pipe Mills Co. (ARPCO) in southern Iran took to the streets to protest unpaid wages and recent dismissals.

Nearly 150 welders at Tehran Refinery were fired last week with 15 representatives of oil contract workers facing dismissal for protesting unpaid wages and demanding better conditions.

In Ilam, western Iran, Ministry of Agriculture staff held a demonstration to protest low wages and livelihood challenges.

Retired educators staged protests in several cities, gathering in front of provincial governor’s offices in Shiraz (southern Iran), Kermanshah (western Iran), and Gorgan (northern Iran), demanding overdue pension benefits.

The growing wave of demonstrations reflects increasing frustration among various labor groups and retirees, whose repeated calls for justice and fair treatment have gone unheeded.

Earlier over the weekend, business owners and employees in Tehran’s historic bazaar also staged a rare strike against runaway inflation and soaring foreign currency rates, spurring protests in other commercial hubs in the capital.

Iranian workers are facing an increasingly difficult situation as the statutory wage, which once covered half of basic living expenses, now barely covers a quarter of the costs.

Iran's IRGC and judiciary chief warned against potential unrest last week, as Iran’s economic and energy crises intensify.

"This level of smuggling when [fuel] production and distribution are in our own hands is absolutely unacceptable," he said.

"With this amount of fuel smuggling, will the public accept that we cut off gas and electricity to the industrial [sector] to manage energy consumption?" Pezeshkian added.

Pezeshkian did not specify the destinations for the smuggled fuel, but fuel smuggling in Iran often involves routes to neighboring countries where fuel prices are significantly higher.

Earlier this month, Reuters reported, citing informed sources, that a sophisticated fuel oil smuggling network generating at least $1 billion a year for Iran and its proxies has flourished in Iraq since Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani took office in 2022.

The discussions also addressed maintaining the fight against ISIS, protecting US citizens, and investigating the fate of disappeared Americans, while emphasizing an inclusive political process that represents all Syrians.

Syria’s new de-facto leader, Ahmed al-Sharaa, expressed hope that Tehran would scale back its military intervention in the region in an interview with Al-Arabiya over the weekend.

The new leader, a former member of Al Qaeda, has made no secret of his pleasure at reducing the influence of Iran in Syria, saying that since the fall of Assad, Syria's opposition had “set the Iranian project in the region back by 40 years”.

Last week, the Arab League bloc of nations called on Iran not to sow discord in Syria following the ouster of President Bashar al-Assad, a long-time ally of Tehran.

"We must negotiate with Mr. Trump. The country's issues cannot be left unresolved, and the entire establishment has also reached the conclusion that direct negotiations are necessary," state-media quoted Ali Abdolalizadeh as saying on Tuesday.

Abdolalizadeh was the head of Pezeshkian's presidential campaign and now serves as his special representative for maritime economy.

“We must speak honorably and defend our national interests. From the beginning of the campaign (of President Pezeshkian), we have emphasized that we are proponents of negotiations,” he added.

However, the spokesman for Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) on Monday dismissed the significance of Trump’s presidency on the future of Iran, saying “Whether it is Donald Trump or any other president, the strategy remains unchanged, and nothing will alter our path.”

Trump’s administration would revive its maximum pressure strategy against Iran, according to the incoming president’s newly appointed Middle East advisor, Massad Boulos.

Asghar Jahangir announced that a case was initially opened in a Tehran court at the instruction of the city’s prosecutor. However, after determining that the alleged offense occurred in Qom province, the case was transferred to the Qom judiciary for further proceedings.

Earlier this month, singer Parastoo Ahmadi challenged Iran's strict dress codes and ban on female solo concerts by performing with her band in an undisclosed caravanserai.

The concert, which she called "imagined," featured Ahmadi with bare shoulders, defying norms that prohibit women from performing solo or appearing in public without a hijab.

The caravanserai where the concert took place has been sealed, according to Jahangir. Investigators are now also focusing on identifying the crew involved behind the scenes, he added.

In mid-December, the judiciary issued a statement saying that the concert was held without legal authorization and adherence to Sharia principles, and that appropriate action will be taken against the singer and production team.

Last week, Ahmadi appeared at Tehran’s prosecutor’s office for an arraignment session where she was formally handed charges against her for performing an online concert without a hijab, violating Iran’s dress mandates, Emtedad news website reported.

She was released on a 30-billion-rials (nearly $38,000) bail. Members of her band, who were also charged, were released on a 20-billion-rials (approximately $25,000) bail each.

Ahmadi was first arrested in Mazandaran, northern Iran, three days after she published a video of her performance on YouTube which garnered over 1.5 million views at the time.

No ban on Taraneh Alidoosti

When asked about the case of actress Taraneh Alidoosti, known for speaking out against the mandatory hijab and is reported to have been given a travel ban, the Judiciary spokesperson said, "She is not banned from flying.”

Last week, filmmaker Mina Akbari reported on X that Alidoosti was planning to travel to Qeshm Island in southern Iran with her daughter when she discovered her national ID code had been blocked for all flights.

Jahangir added that he had checked with the National Organization for Civil Registration, whose head confirmed Alidoosti's national ID card was not blocked. He stated that anyone with such a claim should file a complaint, which would be investigated.

"We do not have a crime called a flight ban," Jahangir noted, although multiple celebrities have been temporarily barred from traveling after they spoke out against the government in recent years, including sports personalities Ali Karimi, Ali Daei, and Farshid Asadian.

Alidoosti, a well-known figure in Iranian cinema and theater, was arrested in November 2022 after publicly protesting the execution of Mohsen Shekari, a young man arrested during the Woman, Life, Freedom protests.

She was released on bail after approximately one month in detention. Upon her release from Evin Prison, she appeared without a headscarf, openly defying Iran's compulsory hijab laws.

Last week, images of Alidoosti without a headscarf backstage at a Tehran theater also circulated widely on social media, further demonstrating her continued defiance.

Judiciary unaware of Italian journalist’s arrest

In spite of the global furore and ensuing diplomatic crisis, the Judiciary spokesman said he was unaware of Italian journalist Cecilia Sala's arrest in Tehran, suggesting she has not been formally charged and was detained by an agency outside the judiciary's purview.

On Monday, the Ministry of Culture and Islamic Guidance confirmed Sala's detention, citing alleged legal violations but withholding specifics.

"Cecilia Sala, an Italian citizen, traveled to Iran on December 13, 2024, with a journalist visa and was arrested on December 19, 2024, on charges of violating the laws of the Islamic Republic of Iran. Her case is currently under investigation," a statement by the ministry said.