Welcome back to The Farda Briefing, an RFE/RL newsletter that tracks the key issues in Iran and explains why they matter.
I'm RFE/RL correspondent Kian Sharifi. In this edition, I'm looking at the nationwide truckers' strike in Iran, its impact on the country's supply chains, and how it's challenging the government amid mounting economic pressures.
What You Need To Know
• Truckers' Strike Gains National Momentum: Truck drivers across Iran have been on strike since May 22, protesting low wages, high insurance costs, and a planned fuel price hike. The movement, which began in the key port city of Bandar Abbas, has spread nationwide and is gaining support from the public as well as prominent dissidents. Observers warn it could escalate into broader anti-establishment unrest.
• Iran Distances Itself From Cleric's Anti-Saudi Tirade: Gholamreza Qasemian, a hard-line Iranian cleric and outspoken critic of the Saudi royal family, was arrested by Saudi authorities this week after posting a video criticizing the kingdom's social reforms and making unsubstantiated claims about the country. He was released after several days and allowed to return to Iran. Notably, Iranian authorities did not publicly defend him or call for his release. Instead, Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi wrote on X that Tehran "in no uncertain terms condemns any attempt to harm Muslim unity" and thanked Saudi Arabia for its "highly competent management" of this year's Hajj pilgrimage. Former diplomat Hossein Alizadeh told RFE/RL's Radio Farda that while remarks like Qasemian's were once common from Iranian officials, today -- under international pressure -- it is "not expedient" to allow such rhetoric, which could harm relations with a regional powerhouse like Saudi Arabia.
• Trump Confident, But Time Tight On Iran Talks: US President Donald Trump said this week that his administration is nearing a nuclear agreement with Iran. He confirmed reports that he warned Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu against disrupting the talks, calling such interference "inappropriate," amid rising concerns over a potential Israeli strike on Iranian nuclear sites. Uranium enrichment remains the central obstacle, but new proposals -- led by Oman and including the idea of a regional consortium -- are pushing the boundaries of compromise. While Iran has expressed willingness to reduce its enrichment levels, it continues to reject a complete ban. With no date set for the next round of negotiations, time is running out for diplomacy.
The Big Issue
Highways Stand Still
The truckers' strike in Iran has gone on for more than a week, causing significant disruptions to freight transportation and supply chains across the country.
The industrial action, which began in the port city of Bandar Abbas, has rapidly expanded to encompass more than 130 cities in at least 30 provinces, marking one of the most extensive labor protests in Iran in recent years.
The primary drivers of the strike include a sharp increase in insurance premiums, government plans to reduce subsidized diesel allocations, and a proposed hike in fuel prices. Truckers have also cited stagnant freight rates, escalating costs for spare parts and maintenance, and deteriorating road conditions as major concerns. Many drivers report that the rising cost of operations has rendered their businesses unsustainable.
The government's proposed fuel price increase -- from approximately $0.04 to nearly $0.50 per liter by late June -- has been a particular flashpoint, with truckers warning that such measures would force many out of work.
In an apparent attempt to downplay the scale of the protests, state television on May 28 broadcast footage of normal operations at truck terminals and ports.
Why It Matters: The strike has severely impacted the transportation of goods, including food, fuel, and industrial materials, as trucks are responsible for over 90 percent of Iran's freight movement.
Reports from across the country indicate that major highways and truck terminals remain largely deserted, and supply shortages are beginning to affect both urban and rural areas.
Despite Iran's vast oil and gas reserves keeping fuel prices among the world's lowest, the hike has sparked widespread anger.
Iran has a history of protests rooted in economic grievances. Demonstrations in 2017 and 2018 began over local economic issues but escalated into broader anti-Islamic republic unrest, met with harsh crackdowns by security forces. In 2019, the government's removal of a gasoline subsidy triggered deadly nationwide protests, leading to over 1,000 arrests and a temporary Internet shutdown.
The country again erupted in protest in 2022 following the death of Mahsa Amini, who died in custody after being arrested for allegedly violating the dress code. The protests, which lasted for months, gave rise to the Women, Life, Freedom movement.
Iranian media say several people have been arrested for filming and sharing videos of the strikes.
What's Being Said: Prominent figures have voiced support for the striking truck drivers.
Acclaimed filmmaker Jafar Panahi, who recently won the Palme d'Or at Cannes, called on drivers to expand the protest nationwide.
"This strike is a powerful cry to the government: Enough is enough. End the oppression and exploitation before nothing remains for the people," he wrote on Instagram.
Mohammad Rasoulof, another renowned Iranian filmmaker currently living in exile, described the strike as "a reflection of public anger over decades of corruption, the plundering of Iran, the repression of the people, and the devastation of millions of Iranian lives."
Imprisoned Nobel Peace Prize laureate Narges Mohammadi also voiced support for the strike on X.
Government spokeswoman Fatemeh Mohajerani on May 28 said lawmakers addressed the strike during a recent Cabinet meeting and assured that the administration will take the truckers' concerns into account.
Expert Opinion: "If the strikes persist and spread, prices [of everyday goods] are likely to rise due to significant disruptions in the supply chain," economy expert Roshanak Astaraki told Radio Farda. "This could even force factories and production lines to shut down."
That's all from me for now.
Until next time,
Kian Sharifi
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