"Iran Hijab Protests" Spread to Oil Workers... "Could Be a Fatal Blow to Regime Stability"

Anti-Government Protests Continue for a Month
Major Economic Sector Spreads to Largest Refinery Facility
Concerns Over High-Intensity Force Used on Civilians
Foreign Media Say "Regime Stability May Be Shaken"

On the 10th (local time), workers at the Bushehr petrochemical plant in Asaluyeh, Iran, held an anti-government protest demanding condemnation of Ali Khamenei, Iran's Supreme Leader. [Image source: SNS video capture]

[Asia Economy Reporter Lee Ji-eun] As anti-government protests in Iran enter their fourth week, it has been confirmed that oil and natural gas production workers have also joined the demonstrations. Observers predict that if energy workers continue their strike amid the United States' intensified economic sanctions on Iran, significant pressure will be exerted on the Iranian government.

On the 11th (local time), The Wall Street Journal (WSJ) reported that the strike by oil workers, which began the previous day at the Bushehr petrochemical plant in Asaluyeh, a city adjacent to the southern Persian Gulf, is spreading to major refineries in the southwestern region.

On the same day, a video presumed to show refinery workers protesting in Abadan, a port city near Kuwait, was posted on social media (SNS). The Oil Workers' Committee of the Abadan refinery issued a statement saying, "Now is the time for a large-scale strike, and we will participate in daily protests together with the entire nation." The Abadan plant is Iran's largest refinery and a symbol of the Iranian oil industry.

Earlier, a video circulated on SNS showing workers at the Bushehr petrochemical plant in Asaluyeh blocking the road to the plant and chanting slogans such as "Death to the dictator." The Bushehr area is densely packed with energy-related facilities, including refineries and nuclear power plants.

Major foreign media outlets view that if energy sector workers join the protests amid U.S. sanctions on Iranian oil exports, pressure on the Iranian government will increase. During the 1979 Iranian Revolution, strikes that began as economic demands such as national control of the oil industry spread across individual workplaces, leading to the fall of the Pahlavi dynasty.

The fact that oil exports still constitute a large portion of Iran's economy is another reason why the participation of energy workers in protests cannot be overlooked. Currently, oil accounts for 60% of Iran's total exports. Due to this economic structure, after former U.S. President Donald Trump withdrew from the Iran nuclear deal (JCPOA) in 2018 and restricted oil and natural gas exports, Iran's economy plummeted. According to WSJ, the Iranian rial has fallen to an all-time low, inflation has worsened, and more than one-third of the population is struggling with poverty. The middle class, which accounted for 20% in 2015, has shrunk to less than half.

Bloomberg explained, "The spread of protests in the energy sector, which is the lifeline of the economy, amid strong economic sanctions on Iran indicates that this situation is a major national issue," adding, "It could severely damage the Islamic Republic's heavy industry."

Some predict that the Iranian government will use the Revolutionary Guard to suppress the spread of anti-government protests. For decades, the Revolutionary Guard has easily quelled uprisings within Iran and can be quickly mobilized for the current protests.

Concerns have also been raised that if protests continue, the Iranian government may use intense force against civilians. Kasra Arabi of the UK-based Tony Blair Institute for Global Change forecasted, "If the protests in Iran persist, the government will turn to a solution involving unlimited violence against civilians."

Meanwhile, the current anti-government protests were triggered when Mahsa Amini, a woman in her 20s, died on the 16th of last month, three days after being arrested by police for allegedly not wearing her hijab properly. Starting with a large-scale protest on the 21st in Tehran demanding an investigation into Amini's cause of death, voices condemning the regime have spread throughout Iran, intensifying clashes between the government and protesters. The Iran Human Rights Commission, headquartered in Oslo, Norway, reported that at least 185 people, including 19 children, have died in the protests.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.