Cyril Widdershoven, OilPrice.com, has a good piece on some civil unrest in Iran, here…
”While the protests are linked to water shortages, they are also indirectly linked to the ongoing COVID crisis in the country. The economic impact of US sanctions is also a factor as the economy is in shambles and unemployment is very high. In addition to the water protests, Iran’s other pivotal economic sector, oil and gas, is also reeling from growing protests. Reports are emerging that some Iranian oil workers are on strike, a strike that has the potential to spread across the nation. The combination of water shortages and an economic crisis is most clear to see in Iran’s main oil and gas producing region Khuzestan. Tehran is keeping a close eye on that province in particular as it is also Iran’s main ethnic Arab region, known for its independent views and its potential to rise up against the government. The fact that the water protests and demonstrations have started in Khuzestan is clearly a sign for Tehran to be vigilant. Iranian leaders appear to be unwilling to accept or incapable of understanding that the use of violence or simply ignoring issues are not real solutions. Since the Khuzestan protests began, other provinces have seen their own unrest including Lorestan, Isfahan, and Bushehr.”
Leave a Reply