Iran’s Parliament Speaker Urges People to Use Less Petrol

Iran’s parliament speaker has urged people to use less petrol as a US naval blockade makes it harder for Tehran to import enough fuel to meet demand.

Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf said some responsibility for high consumption lay with industry rather than ordinary people. But he said the need to conserve fuel was clear. “In any case, one thing is clear: we must save petrol,” he said in a televised address.

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In any case, one thing is clear: we must save petrol.

The United States began blockading Iranian ports in retaliation for Tehran’s closure of the Strait of Hormuz, a vital route for oil and gas shipments through the Persian Gulf. Washington has also announced broad new sanctions intended to isolate Iran’s economy further.

Long lines of vehicles have appeared at petrol stations in Tehran in recent days. Vice President Mohammad Jafar Ghaempanah said last week that Iran produced too little petrol and could not import enough because of the US naval blockade. The president’s chief of staff has also said petrol quotas would be reviewed.

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If we use it properly, the petrol we produce domestically will be enough for us.

Ghalibaf called for “collective wisdom and, of course, the cooperation of the people” to reduce fuel use. “If we use it properly, the petrol we produce domestically will be enough for us,” he said.

With inflation rising and economic prospects worsening during the war, Ghalibaf said officials planned to increase funding for electronic food subsidies, particularly for the income groups under the greatest pressure. He said public welfare had to come first and described public satisfaction as a central principle.

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Collective wisdom and, of course, the cooperation of the people