Ahmad Maroufkhani, head of the Union of Oil, Gas, and Petrochemical Exporters, stated that by the end of next year, Iran will face a daily deficit of 10 million liters of gasoline, and during winter, a diesel fuel deficit will add to this problem.
In an interview with the state-run ILNA news agency, Maroufkhani attributed the main reasons for these imbalances to a lack of proper planning for consumption management and insufficient investment in the refinery sector.
He stated that despite the country’s need to address the gasoline shortage, many petrochemical companies are exporting gasoline additives.
Maroufkhani emphasized that one of the solutions to increase gasoline production is using the petroleum product “Reformate.” He said, “For example, last week we witnessed the export of Reformate to the UAE market,” adding, “This product could instead be combined with naphtha domestically to produce high-quality gasoline.”
The head of the Oil Products Exporters Union, pointing out the lack of regulation in the production and export of petroleum products, explained that the Ministry of Oil must implement regulations to control the export of products related to gasoline production. He also emphasized the need for policies to prevent the export of essential materials needed for domestic gasoline production.
He explained that gasoline products and additives are sent to countries like the UAE, where they are turned back into gasoline and then re-imported into Iran. He said the fundamental solution is that “in the short term, we should stop exporting these products to help meet the country’s fuel needs.”
Maroufkhani, who was speaking as part of the government’s recent initiative to prepare the public and mitigate potential anger, proposed an increase in gasoline prices as “one of the solutions to control consumption.”
However, regarding the implementation of higher gasoline prices, he emphasized the need for “appropriate cultural and social measures” to minimize the “negative effects of this action.”
Previously, in response to widespread criticism of gasoline price increases, Mohammad Reza Aref, the First Vice President of Iran’s regime under Masoud Pezeshkian (President of Iran), stated that the government “will not make any hasty decisions” and “in every decision, we will consider all social, cultural, and justice-related aspects.”
The defense of the gasoline price increase by government officials, media, and its supporters continues, while independent labor and professional organizations, along with numerous social media users, have strongly criticized the decision.
They pointed to the Iranian regime’s large-scale financial support for its proxy groups in the Middle East, the exemption of institutions linked to the regime’s Supreme Leader, Ali Khamenei, from paying taxes, and widespread corruption in the government. They called on the government to abandon economic policies that harm workers and wage earners, rather than increasing gasoline prices, which would place further economic strain on them.
