The Washington Post reported on a hidden force that could destroy the Iranian regime.
In an article published in the Washington Post, David Ignacios predicted that the active labor movement in Iran is the main factor in the disruptive change that could lead to the demise of the current regime.
The author said in his article: "The labor movement in Iran is usually ignored when assessing the situation in the country, even though the workers' protests created a great momentum and enjoyed a broad base, and the regime has been facing difficulties in suppressing it for 20 years."
The author highlights the importance of the labor movement by quoting a statement by former Iranian President Mohammad Khatami, made about a month after nationwide demonstrations protesting the increase in gasoline prices last November.
Khatami had said that with the upper and middle classes of society joining the working class protesters, no military or security force would be able to take action against them... and such tension would turn into a confrontation between the regime and the people.
According to the author of the article, "The bloodiest clashes during the November demonstrations took place in the city of Mahshahr in southwestern Iran, when protesters, including petrochemical workers, took to the streets and the regime responded with complete "savagery" using automatic weapons and tanks."
Political analyst Behnam Ben Talebo told the Washington Post that the regime “feared organized action and was well aware that the oil industry strikes were a necessary step to overthrow the Shah.”
Maryam Memarsadeghi, who follows the affairs of Iran's labor unions, notes that there is a kind of synergy between labor strikes and street protests.
The author of this article says: “Iran is slowly moving towards a possible turning point. The 1979 revolution and the regime’s leaders are aging, and the clerics are ruling at home and abroad through the Revolutionary Guards, but the IRGC’s charisma was shattered last month with the killing of Qassem Soleimani.”
According to the author's prediction, "political stagnation in Iran will continue for another decade, but it is very difficult to imagine that such a system will last forever in such a complex country. In his opinion, the power of the working class is the factor that can change the regime."
The author concludes his article by stating, “When you see the wave of strikes spreading across Iran, despite brutal repression, you will realize that Iran may finally be entering a new phase.
Source: Al Arabiya Persian
