Analysis by PMOI/MEK
Iran, May 2, 2019 – Iran’s state media reported on Wednesday that the ruling clerical regime is planning to increase the price of gasoline beginning Thursday and assign gas rations for each car.
The price of each liter of government-rationed gasoline would be 10,000 rials (about 22 cents/liter official rate) with 60 liters ration per car each month, According to reports. The price of gas without ration would run 25,000 rials(about 55 cents/liter official rate). The price of premium gas would be 30,000 rials (about 66 cents/liter official rate).
Following this announcement, car owners rushed to the gas stations to purchase as much gas as they could before the new regulation comes into effect, and long queues were formed at each gas station in a matter of minutes in most major cities and towns.
Long queues of cars at pump stations in the city of Urmia (northwest Iran)
Long queues in Lahijan, northern Iran, as people seek to buy gasoline before the new regulation goes into effect
Long queues in Tehran as people seek to purchase gasoline before the new regulation goes into effect
Long queues of cars waiting to buy gasoline in Tehran’s Resalat Ave. – Iran
Following this announcement and subsequent protests and crisis in the making, on Wednesday the clerical regime backed away from its earlier announcement of increasing the price of gasoline and rationing it. Fearing this would turn into an excuse for the people who are already fed up of the regime’s destructive policies and turn this crisis into an anti-regime protest, the clerical regime hastily backed away from implementing the new price quote and rationing. Officials are now saying the effective date of the implementation would not be on Thursday and that the new date would be announced in a later date.
