Report: Fuel queues and chaos on the streets of Iran amid US sanctions
Due to high demand, gas stations in Tehran have imposed a 20-liter limit per vehicle. The President of Iran warns that selling gasoline below market rates is placing immense pressure on state resources. The crisis is intensifying against the backdrop of a plummeting national currency and threats from Donald Trump.
A report published today in the Financial Times highlights long queues at gas stations across Tehran amid the American blockade. The fuel shortage is causing panic among drivers and signals the tightening of the economic noose around the regime.
Massive traffic jams and hours-long queues began the morning after the Donald Trump administration announced new economic sanctions. A gas station worker in the capital reported that people are rushing to refuel for fear of war or price hikes. A 20-liter limit per vehicle has been imposed, forcing drivers to return repeatedly. Iran International shared a video on X of a driver who waited 45 minutes only to find the station closed before their turn.
Bounty on IRGC officials
Meanwhile, US President Donald Trump issued a sharp statement: "Iran is killing protesters—even when they are not protesting—on a scale not seen before. This is a massive humanitarian crisis, and it must be stopped immediately."
Simultaneously, the Trump administration announced a $10 million reward for information leading to the whereabouts of senior commanders of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), including heads of the armed forces, intelligence, drone units, and cyber divisions.
Iran, a major crude oil exporter, has long relied on gasoline imports to supplement local supply. However, the American naval blockade, effective since July 14, has severely impacted logistics. The situation was worsened by a series of bombings that destroyed part of the country's refining capacity in the early weeks of the war. Estimates suggest a daily shortfall of about 15 million liters against a total demand of 135 million.
US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent announced an expansion of secondary sanctions against Iran's trading partners. Tehran refuses to accede to Donald Trump's demands to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, with both sides accusing each other of violating a June agreement.
Senior Iranian officials note that the shortage is exacerbated by a subsidy system providing some of the world's cheapest gasoline (15,000 to 50,000 rials per liter). President Masoud Pezeshkian stated that selling fuel below market value exerts tremendous pressure on state resources. His chief of staff, Mohsen Haji-Mirzaei, confirmed the government's intention to reduce quotas.
The Iranian rial has plummeted to a new low of 2 million per dollar, with annual inflation nearing 90 percent and food inflation hovering around 130 percent. Tehran-based energy analyst Morteza Behruzifar warned that a sharp hike in gasoline prices could trigger severe social unrest.
