Shop owners in Iran have joined truck drivers in a strike across dozens of cities in protest against deteriorating living conditions amid widespread economic woes.
Sources told The National that a number of shopkeepers refused to open their shops in a second day of strikes.
Truck drivers began the strike more than two weeks ago in cities across Iran, including major cities such as Tabriz. According to Arabic newspaper Al Hayat, at least 320 cities have been affected.
Iran News Wire, an opposition news agency based in San Diego, posted a video of stationary trucks supposedly parked in protest in the city of Dorud in Lorestan Province.
No reports were made on local newspapers regarding the strikes, but special courts in Iran set up to deal with financial crimes sentenced three suspects to death over corruption earlier this month, the official Irna news agency reported.
According to the deputy chief of the judiciary, Gholamhossein Mohseni Ejehi, the three were among 35 suspects recently brought to trial. Ms Ejehi said the rest were handed prison terms of up to 20 years.
The Special Islamic Revolutionary Courts were set up last month to try suspects quickly after Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei called for "swift and just" action as part of the government's campaign against corruption.
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Since US President Donald Trump's decision to pull out from the nuclear deal between Tehran and world powers, Iran's economy has plunged into a downward spiral with the national currency hitting record lows.
“At its heart, it’s the socio-economic situation that is largely driving the recent discontent, with strikes serving as a means to voice these grievances – poverty, unemployment, low wages, lack of economic growth, and depreciating currency, rising prices,” said Kierat Ranautta-Sambhi, a regional security analyst at Le Beck International.
The International Monetary Fund predicted last May that the US administration’s announcement of their withdrawal from the nuclear agreement, would shrink the Iranian economy by 1.5 per cent this year and 3.6 per cent in 2019.
Meanwhile, trading in foreign currency and gold coins has increased. In July, Iran arrested a man who had allegedly amassed two tonnes of gold coins.
BBC Persian listeners posted pictures of shops closed in Shahreza in the province of Isfahan.
