Although the merchants have gone on a strike because of raised taxes rather than a purely political motive, if the strike does continue it is likely that it will have a crippling effect on the Regime and will inadvertently help the pro-democracy movement in Iran.
According to various news reports from Iran Press News the merchants in the Tehran Market (Bazaar) are on their third (3rd) day of strike. The merchants started their strike in response to the increase in taxes and have continued the strike after a merchant was stabbed and died in the hospital by security forces yesterday afternoon.