Iran protests reach key oil industry

Dubai, October 10

Workers at the site of a major complex of refineries crucial for Iran’s massive offshore natural gas field protested on Monday over the death of a 22-year-old woman, online videos appeared to show.

The demonstrations at Asaluyeh mark the first time the unrest surrounding the death of Mahsa Amini threatened the coffers of Iran’s long-sanctioned theocratic government — its oil and gas industry.

While it remains unclear if other workers will follow, the protests come as demonstrations rage on in cities, towns and villages across Iran over the September 16 death of Amini after her arrest by the country’s morality police in Tehran.

Security forces intensified a crackdown on anti-government protests in several Kurdish cities, social media posts and videos showed, pressing efforts to quell the unrest.

Early on Monday, the sound of apparent gunshots and explosions echoed through the streets of a city in western Iran, while security forces reportedly killed one man in a nearby village, activists said. From Tehran and elsewhere, online videos have emerged despite authorities disrupting the Internet showing women marching through the streets without the hijab, while others confront authorities and light fires in the street as the protests continue into a fourth week. The demonstrations represent one of the biggest challenges to Iran’s theocracy since the 2009 Green Movement protests. — AP

Respect law, foreign visitors told

Foreign visitors to Iran should respect the Islamic Republic’s laws, its foreign ministry spokesman said on Monday, as protests continue over a woman’s death in police custody that Tehran has blamed on “foreign enemies”. “Iran is a safe country… We expect foreigners who visit Iran for tourism and business … purposes to respect our laws,” foreign ministry spokesman Nasser Kaanani said. Reuters