MERCHANT STRIKES SPREAD THROUGHOUT IRAN

Good...Just good:

The Iranian news agency ILNA reports that following the Iranian government’s introduction of a value-added tax (VAT) in the country, the gold marketplaces in the cities of Isfahan, Mashhad, Tabriz, and Shiraz launched a strike today, and other business owners have joined in.

The strike began in Isfahan five days ago, and has now paralyzed the entire Isfahan marketplace, as well as other shops in the city center.

The Iranian news agency Etemad reported that shopkeepers in the Isfahan market were threatening to close their bank accounts, and that the leaders of the bazaar had already begun withdrawing their funds from banks.

It should be noted that most of the media in Iran, and particularly in Tehran, have so far refrained from reporting on the strikes.