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Small protests erupted in several Iranian cities on November 15, after the country raised gasoline prices and imposed distribution norms.
Protests in the central city of Sirjan became serious when participants attacked a fuel depot and tried to burn it, but were stopped in time by police, Iran's IRNA news agency reported. Many people gathered on the road and blocked traffic in many Iranian cities yesterday before dismissing in the middle of the night.
Means of vehicles line up at a gas station in the capital Tehran, Iran on November 15 Photo: AP
The protests erupted when Iran raised the price of gasoline from 10,000 rial ($ 0.24) to 15,000 rial ($ 0.36) per liter and set the norm that each individual vehicle could only buy 60 liters of gasoline a month at this price. . The excess gasoline will be sold at 30,000 rial / liter.
The measure is expected to save Iran $ 2.55 billion a year, said Mohammad Bagher Nobakht, head of Planning and Budget. Iran is a generous donor for fuel, but has recently faced petrol smuggling abroad.
A video posted on social media showed demonstrators in Ahvaz, the provincial capital of Khuzestan, urging drivers to stop to block traffic to protest the decision to raise gas prices. "Respected Ahvaz people, please turn off your device," the protesters chanted.
"The riot police may have deployed forces and sealed off the main roads. I heard gunshots," an Ahvaz man, who spoke on condition of anonymity, told Reuters reporters by phone.
Iran adopted a fuel card system in 2007 to reform its subsidy system and limit the smuggling of gasoline on a large scale. Iran is currently one of the cheapest countries in the world due to government subsidies and a low value of the local currency.
Despite its vast oil reserves, Iran has struggled for years to meet domestic fuel demand due to limited international supply of parts, making it difficult to maintain. and maintain the output of refineries.
US President Donald Trump imposed sanctions on the oil industry and other important parts of the Middle East nation after withdrawing from the 2015 Iran Nuclear Agreement (JCPOA). The US wants to cut off Iranian oil revenue to force it to negotiate a new deal that is more beneficial to Washington.
