Pensioners protest high prices and inflation in Tehran, Isfahan, Rasht and Shush

Pensioners in several Iranian cities, including Tehran, Isfahan, Rasht and Shush, held protest gatherings on Sunday 11 October 2026 against high prices, inflation and inadequate pensions. According to Voice of America, the gatherings took place based on reports received and images published on social media.

In Tehran, social security pensioners, retired teachers and telecommunications pensioners gathered and chanted slogans against the imprisonment of teachers and workers, corruption and inflation. Among their slogans were "High prices, embezzlement – this is your economy" and "Until the death sentence is overturned, we will stand to the end". The published report did not specify which death sentence the second slogan referred to.

Foulad and Zob-Ahan steel pensioners protest in Isfahan

In Isfahan, pensioners of the steel (Foulad) and Zob-Ahan steel companies marched from Darvazeh Dowlat towards the provincial governorate building. In Rasht, teachers and social security pensioners gathered, and in Shush, in Khuzestan province, social security pensioners held a gathering. According to Voice of America, on Saturday 10 October members of a housing cooperative of Eslamshahr municipal employees had also gathered in front of the city's courthouse to protest the unresolved ownership of their land.

The protesters' demands are higher pensions and wages in line with real inflation, full implementation of the pension equalisation scheme and payment of arrears, better insurance and healthcare services, and financial transparency in pension funds.

A war-torn economy and pensioners' shrinking means

These protests come as inflation has reached nearly 90 per cent and shopkeepers in Tehran's bazaar speak of bankruptcy. The Islamic Republic's central bank has also acknowledged that Iran's economy shrank by more than 12 per cent in spring 2026. At the same time, the medicine crisis and the removal of hundreds of medicines from insurance coverage have made healthcare even more expensive for pensioners.

The Voice of America report made no mention of arrests or security action against protesters at these gatherings.

Pensioners in four Iranian cities demanded pensions in line with real inflation and full implementation of pension equalisation.

Sources

• Voice of America Persian