US blockade limits Iran’s petrol imports amid shortages
Iranian official says petrol production is insufficient, while the US naval blockade prevents imports and fuel subsidies disproportionately benefit multiple vehicle owners.
Petrol shortages in Iran have led to long queues at fuel stations, as the country struggles to meet demand due to a US naval blockade, according to a senior Iranian official. The Iranian vice-president, Mohammad Jafar Ghaempanah, told the IRNA news agency that the US blockade is preventing Iran from importing sufficient petrol to compensate for its own inadequate production.
This issue has come to light as the conflict between Iran and the US has increasingly focused on economic pressures on Tehran. On Monday, the president's chief of staff, Mohsen Haji-Mirzaei, announced that petrol quotas would be reviewed, though no further details were provided. The ongoing war began on February 28, during which Iran has taken control of the strategic Strait of Hormuz.
Washington has responded by imposing a naval counter-blockade on Iranian ports. Ghaempanah also criticized the distribution of highly subsidized fuel in Iran, arguing that the current system is inequitable, as people who own multiple vehicles receive disproportionately more benefits from fuel subsidies compared to those without a vehicle.
Iran, a major oil producer with some of the world's cheapest fuel, has long heavily subsidized petrol, making any changes to pricing politically sensitive.
Written by urgent.news from Free Malaysia Today's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
