U.S. Blockade of Strait of Hormuz Sends Oil Tankers Into Retreat 
Britain Pauses Chagos Islands Deal Amid U.S. Opposition and Diplomatic Tensions 
Viktor Orban Loses Power After 16 Years as Hungary's Tisza Party Claims Landslide Election Victory 
Spain's Sanchez Visits China to Deepen Trade Ties Amid U.S. Tensions 
Swalwell Drops California Governor Bid Amid Sexual Assault Allegations 
BCA Research Warns U.S.-Iran Ceasefire Could Collapse, Maintains Cautious Equity Outlook 
Peru Presidential Election 2026: Keiko Fujimori Takes Early Lead in First-Round Vote 
U.S. Blockades Strait of Hormuz After Iran Nuclear Talks Collapse 
Trump Dismisses Iran Talks, Orders Strait of Hormuz Blockade 
U.S.-Iran Peace Talks in Islamabad Pause With Key Differences Unresolved 
Iran's Missile Arsenal Poses Ongoing Risk Despite U.S. Claims of Destruction 
FAA and Pentagon Approve Laser Counter-Drone System Along U.S.-Mexico Border 
Islamabad at a Standstill as U.S.-Iran Peace Talks Take Center Stage 
Trump Warns China Over Iran Arms as Diplomatic Talks Intensify 
MATCH Act: How New U.S. Chip Legislation Could Freeze China's Semiconductor Ambitions 
U.S.-Iran Nuclear Talks Resume in Islamabad Amid Strait of Hormuz Standoff 
Trump Blasts Pope Leo as "Weak" Amid Foreign Policy and Immigration Disputes 
Iranians went on strike across several cities this week to commemorate the 2019 protests over fuel prices. The strike comes amidst ongoing protests against the country’s clerical rulers following the death of Kurdish-Iranian woman Mahsa Amini.
Iranians on Tuesday went on strike to commemorate the 2019 demonstrations that led to one of the most brutal crackdowns by the Islamic Republic’s security forces. This week’s strike will likely add more pressure onto the country’s clerical rulers, who have sought to blame foreign enemies for the current anti-government protests over Amini’s death in the custody of the morality police.
Videos that were shared on social media showed strikes and gatherings in marking the 2019 demonstrations. One account, 1500tasvir on Twitter, showed videos of shops that were closed down in the Tehran Bazaar for the strikes, with demonstrators shouting anti-government slogans. Hengaw also reported mass strikes taking place in the predominantly Kurdish cities in northern and northwestern Iran, with universities also going on strike.
The Azad University in the capital Tehran also went on strike, and the 1500tasvir account shared a video of the empty corridors and closed doors of the university. The account also showed a video of people at the metro station chanting “death to the dictator,” the slogan that referred to Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei.
Steelworkers in Isfahan in central Iran also joined the strike. The workers were heard saying, “enough with the promises, our table is empty.” There has been increasing support from various walks of life in Iranian society for the protests, and the European Union has imposed sanctions on the Islamic Republic over its crackdown on the demonstrations.
In remarks at the World Congress against the Death Penalty, German foreign minister Annalena Baerbock called out Iran for using the death penalty to suppress the opposition, saying that executions are especially used in authoritarian regimes.
“We are experiencing this again in Iran, where a death sentence has now been pronounced against a person who has done nothing other than stand up for their liberal and civil rights,” said Baerbock. “We have no doubt about what we think of the regime’s brutal repression against its own people.”
