Iran truckers face arrests and pressure as nationwide strike enters sixth day

Iran's security forces have escalated efforts to suppress the nationwide truck drivers' strike through arrests, summonses, and intimidation, particularly in the southern city of Sirjan, as the strike stretches into its sixth day.

Sources told Iran International that intelligence and security agencies have begun directly contacting and summoning truck drivers in Sirjan, Kerman province, with several reportedly detained in an attempt to break the strike.

On Tuesday, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) in Kerman province said in a statement that it had dismantled what it called an “organized anti-security network” operating across several provinces.

The statement did not specify the network’s alleged activities or any link to the truckers' strike.

Iran's Truckers and Heavy Vehicle Drivers Union released a statement marking the sixth day of the strike, confirming that 11 drivers and truck owners had been detained in Kermanshah, western Iran.

The union called for their immediate and unconditional release, saying, “Repression, arrest, and threats are not a response to legitimate demands — they are a sign of desperation in the face of our growing call for justice.”

In response to the arrests, hundreds of drivers in Kermanshah staged a protest in front of the provincial governor’s office, denouncing what they described as unjust treatment and expressing solidarity with their detained colleagues.

Launched on May 22 in the southern port city of Bandar Abbas, the coordinated protest has since spread widely across the country, with truckers pledging to hold out for a full week or longer if their demands remain unmet.

Drivers are demanding better working conditions, higher freight rates, and relief from high insurance costs and fuel restrictions.