Iran Strips Kurdistan of Public Transport for Khomeini Anniversary

SAQQEZ - Families in Iran's Kurdistan province have been left stranded at bus stations and forced to pay high transportation costs after authorities commandeered more than 130 public buses to ferry supporters to Tehran for ceremonies marking the anniversary of Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini’s death.

The seizure of public buses has made it difficult for families to return to Kurdistan or travel to Tehran for personal reasons.

Passengers have reported waiting for hours at terminals in Tehran, Sanandaj, Saqqez, and other cities - many ultimately forced to either pay exorbitant fares for private transport or remain stranded.

Colonel Saeed Sha'abani, a local commander of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) in Kurdistan, said that arrangements have been made to transport 3,000 people from the province for the memorial events, with plans to increase the number to 4,000 if enough vehicles become available.

The transport shortage has especially impacted families with urgent needs. One family, with a relative hospitalized in Tehran, was unable to find a bus.

A worker who needed to return from leave also struggled to reach his job.

“Hours of waiting, not a single bus available, and eventually paying several times the usual fare for a private car - that’s what many of us are dealing with these days,” said one stranded passenger.

A Kurdistan resident who works for the government in Tehran and had driven to Sanandaj in his personal vehicle said he encountered desperate travelers along the way.

“On the way back, I encountered crowds of people unable to find any means of transport. I could only take an elderly man and his son with me,” he said.

The bus shortage has also highlighted broader infrastructure issues in Kurdistan province.

Sanandaj and Saqqez airports operate just one flight per week, often subject to cancellation, and rail transport remains largely ineffective, offering no viable alternative.

The diversion of buses coincides with the establishment of seven provincial committees in Kurdistan tasked with organizing participation in the Tehran ceremonies.

According to the state-run IRNA news agency, all resources of the IRGC and various government departments have been mobilized to support the memorial events.

While the Islamic Republic allocates extensive budgets and resources to ensure large-scale participation in Khomeini’s anniversary, ordinary citizens in Kurdistan face severe transportation shortages and unprecedented spikes in private travel costs.

The situation has sparked criticism from residents who view the memorial planning as out of touch with immediate public needs.

Citizens say they have lost access to basic transport services while public resources are redirected toward what many perceive as a state spectacle rather than a genuine public commemoration.