The regime’s heavy-handed approach to suppressing the commemorative uprisings on the anniversary of the 2022 Zahedan massacre, commonly referred to as “Bloody Friday”, was met with strong resistance from the inhabitants of Sistan and Baluchestan Province.

Over the last three days, the province has been a nexus of protests, strikes, and nightly confrontations, defying the regime’s narrative of control.

Historically, Sistan and Baluchestan has been left to grapple with its staggering socioeconomic disparities under successive dictators. Characterized by soaring unemployment, poverty, and stark income inequality, this province stands as a testament to Iran’s neglect of its peripheral regions.

Recent data from the Statistical Centre of Iran paints a dire picture. The average annual income of rural households in the province for the year 1401 (March 2022- March 2023) lags behind by a whopping 55.3% from the national average. For urban households, this disparity is 35.4%. Furthermore, the province’s Gini coefficient, a measure of income inequality, at 0.4647 is considerably higher than the national average of 0.406.

Compounding the income disparities are the province’s grim employment figures. Sistan and Baluchestan suffer from an unemployment rate of 12.5%, the highest across all 31 Iranian provinces. This is well above the national average by 4.3 percentage points. The employment ratio, indicating the working-age population involved in labor, sits at 30.6%, and the labor force participation rate, a mere 35% – both the lowest in the country.

Inflation, particularly in essential commodities like food and beverages, has also tightened its grip on the province with rates reported at a daunting 68.1% in September, a clear 10% above the national average.

The clerical regime, rather than addressing these pressing challenges, has resorted to its old playbook of disinformation. A report by the IRGC-run Fars News agency on the eve of the uprising anniversary labeled the 2022 Zahedan protests as “criminal,” an orchestration by foreign powers. This deliberate misinformation seeks to overshadow the genuine grievances of the province’s inhabitants.

As the anniversary loomed, the regime deployed extensive military and security forces in a bid to stifle any resurgence of protests in Sistan and Baluchestan. But the indomitable spirit of the province, particularly in towns like Zahedan, Khash, and Sarbaz, remains undeterred. The resilient populace, aided by the Resistance Units, has sent an unequivocal message: their desire for change remains undiminished, regardless of the regime’s suppressive tactics.

MEK Iran (follow us on Twitter and Facebook), Maryam Rajavi’s on her site, Twitter & Facebook, NCRI  (Twitter & Facebook), and People’s Mojahedin Organization of Iran – MEK IRAN – YouTu