Read our editorials on the US-Israeli war on Iran here and here.
The US imperialist invasion of Iran has worsened the general economic crisis of imperialism, and monopolists have offloaded the ensuing energy crisis onto workers.
Following the February 28 US-Israeli invasion of Iran, the Iranian government blockaded the Strait of Hormuz, through which about 20% of the world’s oil passes through, and struck numerous oil and gas facilities in the region as part of its successful defensive war to protect Iranian sovereignty.
Monopolists have forced workers—particularly logistics and transport workers in the Third World—to bear the brunt of what the International Energy Agency has called “the biggest [energy] crisis in history.” Protests broke out against inflation, including in Haiti, India, and the Philippines, where transport workers carried out a two-day national strike after the price of diesel and oil doubled.
While workers in the US—the sole hegemonic imperialist superpower—are relatively insulated to the crisis compared to workers in the Third World, drivers and their families face hunger as conditions deteriorate.
People in the US have already paid over $27 billion in extra gasoline and diesel costs since the start of the imperialist aggression according to an investigation by Brown University. The total cost of the war for the US could be around $1 trillion, according to a Harvard public policy expert.
“We were already on the very breaking point to begin with. This is like the nail in the coffin,” a trucker told monopoly news. Diesel—the biggest daily cost for truckers—has risen 41% since the war began.
A decades-long Uber/Lyft driver and leader of the Tennessee Drivers Union told The Worker, “I am now only working on the weekends because of the war. Gas has now jumped over $4 for six weeks in a row. I am not making any profit. Many are barely living paycheck to paycheck, and people are skipping meals to pay their bills.”
While workers are fleeced at the pump—on top of the 25% general inflation of consumer goods between 2020-2025—the Trump administration is seeking a $1.5 trillion military budget for 2027 and is continuing its efforts to slash funding for food stamps, Medicaid, and other programs for the poor.
“The state does not solve our basic problems. What the hell is wrong with our government sticking its nose in everyone’s business? Who is paying for the gas hikes? It is the public,” the driver told The Worker.
The war’s effects on drivers is exacerbated by the “gigification” of the broader logistics industry, increasing responsibility of workers for overhead costs.
“Now when you get a $14 ride and drive five miles to get them, you’re losing $4 on gas, plus oil change, tires, and insurance. If you put it all together you can’t make any money to be on the road,” the union leader said. “People should make money to live a life. Everyone is using their credit score and their accounts. It’s putting so much pressure that a lot of us can’t afford to live.”
Image: Iranians rally in mourning for Khamenei in April. Credit: Martyr Ayatollah Khamenei Telegram channel.
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