A nationwide truck driver strike in Iran has entered its fifth day, reaching across nearly 100 cities and over two dozen provinces as it disrupts transportation routes across the country.
As of Sunday, the strike had stretched into 93 cities and 27 provinces, with drivers protesting the government’s plans to introduce a tiered fuel pricing system that many truckers fear will become unsustainable, according to the National Council of Resistance of Iran, the political wing of dissident group People’s Mojahedin Organization of Iran.
The truck drivers are also protesting higher insurance rates, lower freight rates, and higher supply chain costs on parts and tires, as well as what they believe are unfair commissions.
Many drivers are expecting to be forced to pay for diesel fuel at a higher rate under the government’s tiered plan, according to the Jerusalem Post. With an anticipated rise in fuel prices, drivers argue that any of the proposed subsidized rates would not offer any relief due to the additional higher costs of insurance and repair fees.
The government has claimed that the proposed pricing changes will reduce smuggling and improve efficiency in the industry. However, the truckers fear it could run them out of business.
“We will not start [our trucks] until you give a real guarantee,” the Union of Truckers and Drivers Association of Iran reportedly said over the weekend. “Protest is not a crime, but our legal right. A driver protesting for his bread and dignity is not a rioter.”
The protests come as President Donald Trump attempts to negotiate a new deal with Iran over its nuclear program, pairing the diplomacy with a renewed crackdown on Iranian oil exports. Earlier this month, he threatened to impose secondary sanctions on any country that buys Iran’s oil.
Videos shared from cities across Iran show dozens of freight trucks parked along the side of the road, drivers refusing to load their trucks, and other coordinated protests, such as driving and blaring their horns in unison.
The strike has disrupted traffic and transportation terminals across major cities, while roadways such as the Isfahan-Tehran freeway have reportedly been nearly empty of any freight trucks, according to the NCRI.
The truckers union claimed on Sunday that police had raided some protests and used pepper spray on striking drivers and arrested several others, according to local reports.
It was not clear how long the strike would last, though some reports suggested the truck drivers may hold out for longer than a week to have their demands met.
WHERE THINGS STAND ON US-IRAN NUCLEAR NEGOTIATIONS
Maryam Rajavi, president-elect of the NCRI, praised the strike efforts over the weekend, saying any crackdowns from police or the government amplify their message rather than silence it.
“Uprising and resistance remain the only path to liberation from poverty, discrimination, unemployment, and the regime’s entrenched corruption,” Rajavi wrote in a post to X.
