Iranian president heckled in poor oil-rich province

Iran's President Masoud Pezeshkian was heckled during a visit to oil-rich yet underprivileged Khuzestan Province on Thursday, as residents voiced frustration over rising unemployment and other economic concerns.

A local state TV reporter disrupted the President's speech on Thursday by shouting questions about dire conditions in Khuzestan, according to Rouydad24, a relatively independent news outlet. A crowd quickly joined in, chanting slogans highlighting financial hardships and the province's persistent water and power issues.

Pezeshkian attempted to calm the crowd. "I have come here to listen to you, but you do not allow me to speak."

While he claimed to be ready to hear their concerns, he insisted on continuing his speech. Critics in the media later commented that his remarks sounded more like those of an opposition figure than a responsible state official.

Later in the day, Pezeshkian and one of his vice presidents posed for photos dressed as construction workers while laying bricks for the construction of a school in Khuzestan.

Sazandegi, a pro-government publication praised Pezeshkian’s brick-laying gesture as "beautiful." But independent reporter Azadeh Mokhtari remarked on social media: "To prove this wasn’t just a show, the president and his aide should have completed the building!"

"The exchange rate for every US dollar has soared to 838,000 rials, and the president is busy shoveling dirt and cement," one user on X quipped.

Another anonymous user, a cleric, commented, "If the previous ultraconservative President (Mahmoud) Ahmadinejad had done the same, the media would have criticized him with all kinds of harsh words."

Conservative journalist Ali Gholhaki also posted on X: "The country is engulfed in the flames of mismanagement and countless other problems. Who advised the President to stage such a spectacle?"

"I have no idea why Khuzestan has so many problems," media outlets quoted Pezeshkian as saying, adding, "I will change the situation in Khuzestan." Similar promises made by former Presidents Ahmadinejad and Hassan Rouhani did little to improve standards of living in the province.

Over the past 20 years, Khuzestan has been the epicenter of several major protests. Many of those killed during the 2019 nationwide protests in Iran were from Khuzestan, according to human rights organizations.

The Iranian Human Rights News Agency (HRNA) reported that security forces in the province recently arrested dozens of cultural and public figures. The crackdown was carried out to suppress dissent, HRANA reported citing local sources, especially after the fall of the Iran-allied government of Bashar al-Assad in Syria.

Pezeshkian pledged to solve the problems of water supply, unemployment and insufficient educational facilities in the province. "I have inherited these problems from the previous governments," he said.

"I have realized that factories in the province were shut down before my arrival to ensure I see clear skies," the pro-government centrist website Entekhab quoted Pezeshkian as saying. "But you can't fool me! I know this province suffers from pollution all the time."

In an interview, local MP Mojtaba Yousefi highlighted the severe infrastructure challenges in Khuzestan Province, saying, "The government has consistently failed to fulfill its promises to address the province’s water and sewage system issues."

"Despite Khuzestan producing 78 percent of the country’s oil and gas output and being home to five major rivers and six dams, we still struggle to provide clean and fresh water to the local population."