Iran petrol cuts urged as US blockade hits imports

Iranian parliament speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf urged citizens on Tuesday to reduce petrol use, saying Iran needed to save gasoline as it struggled to import enough fuel because of a US naval blockade.

Ghalibaf, who is also a top negotiator, made the appeal in a televised address. “Of course, part of the responsibility for this high consumption does not lie with our people; it lies with our industry,” he said. “But in any case, what is clear is that we need to save gasoline in our consumption.”

Washington imposed its blockade of Iranian ports in retaliation for Tehran's closure of the Strait of Hormuz, a vital route for Gulf oil and gas shipments. The United States has also recently announced sanctions aimed at further isolating Iran's economy.

Long vehicle queues have been seen at petrol stations in Tehran in recent days. Iranian Vice President Mohammad Jafar Ghaempanah said last week that domestic petrol production was “insufficient, and because of the US naval blockade, we cannot import it”. Days earlier, the Iranian president's chief of staff had said petrol quotas would be reviewed.

Ghalibaf said conserving fuel required “collective wisdom” and public cooperation. “If we consume it properly, we can manage with the amount of gasoline we produce in the country,” he said.

With many Iranians facing inflation and weaker economic prospects during the war, Ghalibaf also announced plans to expand subsidies. He said the government and parliament were determined to increase credit for the electronic food subsidy programme, especially for income groups bearing the greatest economic pressure.

Demonstrations over economic concerns last December developed into a broader anti-government protest movement that peaked in January before being quelled. Ghalibaf said officials should try to reduce pressure on people and limit dissatisfaction.