Kurdish parties call for a general strike in Iran in support of the protests
In an escalation reflecting the depth of the internal crisis facing Tehran, seven Iranian Kurdish opposition parties have called for a general strike today, Thursday, across Kurdish regions and throughout Iran. This call aims to demonstrate full solidarity and unified support for the popular protests that have been ongoing in the country for 11 days, posing a new challenge to the Iranian authorities.
A call to unite against the regime
Hassan Rahman Panah, a member of the central committee of the Komala Party, an opposition Kurdish party based in northern Iraq, confirmed that the seven parties agreed on this step to unify the voice of the people. Panah told AFP, "The aim of the strike is to demonstrate the unified support of the people of Kurdistan for the struggle and protests being waged by the Iranian people against the Islamic Republic." Tehran classifies Komala and several other Kurdish parties as terrorist organizations, accusing them of fomenting unrest in border regions.
The death toll and the spread of anger
The current protests began on December 28 with a strike by merchants in Tehran's bazaar, a move with deep historical significance, as bazaar strikes have long played a pivotal role in political upheavals in modern Iranian history. The demonstrations quickly spread to other areas, particularly in the west of the country, where the Kurdish and Lur minorities are concentrated.
Regarding casualties, the Norway-based organization Iran Human Rights documented the deaths of at least 27 protesters, killed by security forces or as a result of excessive violence in eight different provinces. The rights group also reported that more than 1,000 people were arrested. In contrast, Iranian state media acknowledged only 15 deaths, including members of the security forces, in an attempt to portray the events as armed riots.
Historical context: Mahsa Amini's wound has not healed
The current protests cannot be separated from the broader context of Iran since September 2022. The Kurdish regions of Iran have been in a state of unrest since the death of young Kurdish woman Mahsa (Jina) Amini, who died while in the custody of Tehran's "morality police." That incident sparked the largest wave of protests against the regime in decades and solidified a widespread sense of marginalization among ethnic minorities, making the Kurdish regions' response to today's strike calls both predictable and highly impactful.
Economic crisis and loss of confidence
Alongside political and human rights demands, the economic crisis is a major driving force behind this movement. In this context, Rahman Panah explained that "the Islamic Republic cannot meet the protesters' demands," noting that the Iranian economy is suffering near-total collapse, coupled with a loss of social trust between the people and the regime. He added that Iran's regional proxies have been weakened or destroyed, thus reducing the regime's external leverage.
Iran is suffering from harsh international sanctions, hyperinflation, and high unemployment, factors that fuel ongoing public anger. The Kurdish official concluded his remarks by summarizing the demands of the street: "The Iranian people are demanding freedom, dignity, humanity, and peace," slogans that have become increasingly prominent in every round of protests sweeping the country.
