Tehran: Gasoline production is insufficient, and the US naval blockade prevents its import

Iran’s Executive Vice President, Mohammad Jafar Qaem Maghami, stated that the US naval blockade on Iranian ports is beginning to hinder the country’s ability to import fuel, as domestic production is insufficient to meet demand.

The official IRNA news agency quoted Qaem Maghami on Thursday as saying, “Gasoline production is insufficient, and due to the US naval blockade, we cannot import it.”

In recent days, long lines of cars formed at gas stations following the government’s announcement of a rationing plan that reduced quotas in place for years.

For his part, Oil Minister Mohsen Paknejad commented on the continuation of Iran’s oil sales, stating, “I will not go into details, as any information disclosed could be misused by the enemy.”

He added, “We managed to transport crude oil between the two sanction periods, and oil sales continued after the sanctions were lifted. True, they have declined, but they have not stopped.”

A sudden spike in gasoline prices in 2019 sparked protests that spread to approximately 100 cities, including Tehran, resulting in dozens of deaths.

Fuel prices in Iran, one of the world’s largest oil producers, remain among the lowest globally.