Iran Faces Petrol Shortage, Unable To Import As US Naval Blockade Bites 

Iran is facing difficulties meeting domestic petrol demand as inadequate local production is worsened by a US naval blockade, a senior government official has said.

Vice President Mohammad Jafar Ghaempanah, said the country’s domestic petrol output was inadequate, while restrictions linked to the US blockade had made it difficult for Tehran to import additional supplies.

“Petrol production is insufficient, and because of the US naval blockade, we cannot import it,” the official IRNA news agency quoted Ghaempanah as saying on Wednesday.

His comments came as motorists in several parts of Iran were reportedly spending hours in queues outside petrol stations, amid growing economic pressure resulting from the ongoing conflict between Tehran and Washington.

The worsening fuel situation has raised concerns over the availability and distribution of petrol, particularly as the conflict increasingly affects Iran’s economy and access to imported commodities.

On Monday, Mohsen Haji-Mirzaei, the Iranian president’s chief of staff, said the government would review existing petrol quotas, although he did not provide details on possible changes.

The fuel shortage comes against the backdrop of the war between Iran and the United States, which began on February 28.

Since the conflict erupted, Tehran has taken control of the strategic Strait of Hormuz, a key global oil transit route. In response, Washington has imposed a naval counter-blockade around Iranian ports, further complicating the country’s ability to import fuel.

Ghaempanah also criticised Iran’s longstanding system of heavily subsidising petrol, arguing that the arrangement has created an unequal distribution of benefits.

“The distribution of petrol in the country is inequitable. Owners of several vehicles benefit from subsidies, unlike those who do not own one,” he said.

Iran is one of the world’s major oil-producing countries and has some of the cheapest petrol prices globally because of extensive government subsidies.