Sabzevar protests erupt for second night on July 22, 2025, over power outages and water shortages amid growing public outrage.
Sabzevar protests led by angry and defiant women who took to the streets in response to widespread blackouts and an escalating water crisis. Their chants and defiance brought renewed public outrage against the Iranian regime’s chronic mismanagement and systemic failure.
Dozens of exhausted and desperate citizens, including a significant number of women, gathered in front of the Sabzevar Governor’s Office to voice their anger over the deteriorating conditions of daily life and the government’s deafening silence. Amid chants like “We have no electricity, we have no water – Governor, are you asleep?”, women played a pivotal role in organizing slogans, directing the crowd, and commanding the scene. They not only broke the silence, but they took the lead.
Heavy presence of security forces and Basij paramilitaries failed to suppress the gathering. Officers resorted to tear gas and violent beatings to disperse the crowd, but protesters held their ground, chanting:
“We will only win our rights in the streets!”
“Don’t be afraid! We are all together!”
“Shameless! Shameless!”
“Land of the Sarbedaran (those who chose the gallows over submission), shout for your rights!”
According to local reports, at least ten demonstrators were arrested during the protests.
A Local Protest Reflecting a National Crisis
The protests in Sabzevar mirrors a broader national emergency, as repeated blackouts, chronic water shortages, and the regime’s inability to meet even basic needs have fueled discontent across Iran—from Tehran to Tabriz, Ahvaz to Isfahan.
One woman protester shouted to the crowd:
“This isn’t just about water and electricity. This is about strangling our very lives.”
As the unprecedented heatwave continues, the clerical regime, unable to resolve the water and electricity crisis, has resorted to shutting down government offices, banks, public institutions, and schools. According to a map published by state media, on Wednesday, 24 of the country’s 31 provinces will be closed.
The Water and Wastewater Company announced that Tehran is experiencing its worst water resource conditions in the past 100 years. The Mamloo Dam will go out of service in September, and after that, the Lar, Latian, and Karaj dams will also no longer be able to supply water. (Asr-e Iran – July 21, 2025)
Sabzevar: From the Sarbedaran Revolt to Today’s Uprising
Sabzevar is no stranger to resistance. The city has deep historical roots in rebellion, as the birthplace of the 14th-century Sarbedaran Movement—a popular uprising against Mongol rule that established the first independent Shi’a state in Iran under the slogan:
“We will give our heads, but never bow to humiliation.”
Today, Sabzevari women stand once again in that same tradition of defiance, raising the banner of resistance. Their struggle is not just against the collapse of infrastructure, but against the machinery of repression itself.
A Regime Gripped by Fear of Another National Uprising
Fearful of yet another nationwide uprising, the Iranian regime has once again turned to its default tactic: violent repression. Yet the courageous presence of women at the forefront and the persistence of slogans despite intense security measures suggest a turning point. The patience of the people—especially of women—has run out. This is no longer a temporary outcry, but a signal of a deeper, more conscious movement demanding the downfall of the entire regime.
