Iran imposes new gasoline refueling limits

Iran has introduced abrupt changes to gasoline supply, imposing new limits on daily refueling and fuel station allocations, sparking fears of potential price hikes.

The government that controls fuel products announced that vehicle owners using its rationing system of smart fuel cards are now limited to fueling "twice a day," with a maximum of 50 liters per session, News.Az reports, citing Iranian media.

The new directive reduces the previous refueling limit of 60 liters to 50, although the monthly quota of 300 liters remains unchanged. However, officials did not provide any explanation or the reason for the daily refueling reduction, a move that has alarmed the public and some media outlets.

Under a plan announced in 2023, about 70% of citizens can receive 30 liters of gasoline per refueling session in small towns and 40 liters in large cities.

However, until Iran’s second attack on Israel last week, during which 181 ballistic missiles were fired at the Jewish state, the plan had not been implemented in the capital, where Tehran residents could still refuel up to 60 liters as before.

As Israel has vowed retaliation as a national duty, Iran's critical infrastructure, including refineries are now in the firing line.

Although Iran has one of the world's largest oil reserves, it suffers from gasoline shortages due to the limited refining capacity. President Masoud Pezeshkian raised the issue of higher gasoline prices during the election campaign, but after the victory, his cabinet’s statements were contradictory.

News.Az