Iran says changes to fuel prices or rationing are inevitable
Iran’s government said on Saturday it would have to introduce new measures to manage gasoline consumption, saying changes to fuel prices or the country’s rationing system were inevitable.
Government spokesperson Fatemeh Mohajerani said Iran needed to reform fuel consumption and restore balance because gasoline was being sold at subsidized prices.
She said authorities were still considering how to implement the changes, including through higher fuel prices or adjustments to the rationing system, and that the public would be informed before any measures took effect.
Mohajerani said any final decision would be announced officially.
Iran’s authorities have long been cautious about fuel price reforms after a sharp increase in gasoline prices in November 2019 triggered nationwide protests that were met with a deadly security crackdown. Since then, governments have sought to curb fuel consumption while trying to avoid measures that could provoke a similar public backlash.