Iran’s Petrol Supply Under Pressure as US Blockade Continues

Iran is struggling to import enough petrol to cover a shortfall in domestic production because of a US naval blockade, Iranian Vice President Mohammad Jafar Ghaempanah has said. The official IRNA news agency quoted Ghaempanah as saying domestic petrol production was insufficient, while the blockade had made imports difficult. His comments come as motorists have reportedly formed long queues at petrol stations, with the ongoing conflict between Iran and the United States increasingly affecting the country’s economy. Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian’s chief of staff, Mohsen Haji-Mirzaei, also said on Monday that petrol quotas would be reviewed, without providing further details. The conflict began on February 28, after which Tehran took control of the strategic Strait of Hormuz while Washington imposed a naval counter-blockade on Iranian ports.

Ghaempanah also criticised Iran’s heavily subsidised fuel distribution system, arguing that it unfairly benefits people who own multiple vehicles while providing less benefit to those without cars. “The distribution of petrol in the country is inequitable,” he said. Iran is one of the world’s major oil producers and has maintained some of the lowest petrol prices globally through extensive government subsidies. Any attempt to change the pricing or distribution system remains politically sensitive, particularly as the country faces growing economic pressure and disruptions to fuel supplies.

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