The Executive Vice President to Masoud Pezeshkian, head of the 14th government of the Islamic Republic, cited the U.S. Navy’s blockade of Iranian ports as the primary reason for the government’s inability to import gasoline.
Speaking to the IRNA news agency on the evening of Wednesday, August 26, Mohammad-Jafar Ghaempanah stressed the necessity of adjusting energy carrier prices, including gasoline and diesel, stating: “Gasoline distribution is unfair, and continuing on this path is impossible. Furthermore, domestic gasoline production is insufficient, and due to the U.S. naval blockade, we cannot import gasoline.”
The government official added that the exact timing and scope of these price adjustments remain undetermined.
Over the past week, as several Islamic Republic officials spoke about the necessity of raising gasoline prices, citizens in Tehran reported fuel station closures and long queues to IranWire.
President Masoud Pezeshkian had previously stated that due to a shortage of foreign currency needed for fuel imports, the government was unable to continue importing gasoline.
