Iran REVOLT latest: Teachers STRIKE in angry protest as Trump sanctions cripple economy

Protests had originally started with truckers and storekeepers in the bazaars, but due to the low pay, thousands of teachers have joined in on the protests.

The teachers have been on strike for the last three days.

Jafar Ebrahimi said: “In this land, not only teachers but all should live in conditions fit for human beings.

“They must raise our salaries above the poverty line.”

The Coordinating Council of Teachers Syndicates in Iran (CCTSI) called for and organised the strike.

According to the teachers, their salaries mean nothing since prices are soaring and purchasing power has been on a steady decrease as the Iranian rial loses value.

The CCTSI said before the strike: “Out-of-control inflation and climbing prices have gripped the country, and the purchasing power of teachers, like that of many other hard-working classes, has fallen significantly.

“What’s more, the cost of education is on the rise, and the Iranian government and Parliament have failed to answer to teachers’ faltering quality of life and the ailing education system. The time has come for us to protest against this systemic disorder.”

The strike is being supported by Maryam Rajavi, the president of Iran’s exiled opposition, the National Council of Resistance in Iran (NCRI).

Mrs Rajavi called on the Iranian people to support the teachers, truckers and shopkeepers.

The truckers in the northwestern province of Qazvin are protesting the cost of spare parts for their vehicles and have been on strike for three weeks.

Many shopkeepers have decided to close their shops in support.

The NCRI said: “Since anti-government demonstrations erupted throughout Iran in December, strikes have become a popular way for citizens of different walks of life and social classes to protest against the corruption and inefficiency of the Iranian regime.”

Iran’s economy has been suffering since last May when US President Donald Trump decided to pull the country out of the Iran nuclear deal and reinstall sanctions on Iran.

Since then, Trump has added more and more sanctions on the country which has caused the economy to slowly collapse, the Iranian rial to devalue and for Iranian oil production to end.

Iran warns that without their oil, it will negatively affect the global market.

The UK, EU, China and Russia have agreed to set up a new programme to try and asset Iran economically and to maintain the terms set out in the nuclear deal.

The US has threatened massive sanctions against anyone who continues to do business with Iran, causing many companies to pull their businesses out of the country.