Border residents of Sistan and Baluchestan province in Iran blocked the Mirjaveh-to-Rutak route by burning tires in protest against the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps’ (IRGC) fuel smuggling schemes. Locals said that while independent fuel carriers are barred from transporting fuel, regime forces, in collaboration with tribal leaders, smuggle fuel into Pakistan.
On Saturday, September 13, the Baluch Activists Campaign reported that after border residents blocked the transport routes, fuel carriers connected to tribal leaders were forced to turn back.
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According to this report, on the evening of September 12, border residents burned tires and blocked roads in protest against the IRGC’s “Fuel Tanker” and “Cooperation” projects.
The campaign stated that the IRGC’s goal in implementing these projects is to bypass sanctions and transfer fuel to Pakistan. It added that residents have said they will not allow traffic for the implementation of these schemes.
Fuel carrying has existed for decades in Sistan and Baluchestan as a livelihood for border residents. At times, the government sold fuel at higher rates to some carriers so they could deliver it across the border in Pakistan and Afghanistan.
With sanctions tightening, the IRGC has sought to “fully control this cycle and centralize the profits,” and within this framework, it has advanced projects such as “Razagh,” “Fuel Tanker,” and now “Cooperation,” in collaboration with certain tribal leaders.
In this system, “no one is allowed to carry fuel independently.” Tanker and vehicle owners must act as “renters,” transporting fuel to designated border points, handing it over to IRGC agents, and only receiving transport fees.
Protesters announced that they will not allow tankers and vehicles linked to this scheme to pass. Reports indicated that these vehicles have “retreated,” and at present, the situation on the ground is under the people’s control.
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The Baluch Activists Campaign further reported that the “Cooperation” project is being carried out under the leadership of an IRGC commander in collaboration with several Baluch tribal leaders.
According to the report, fuel carriers in this project are required—despite all risks—to deliver fuel to points designated by the IRGC and tribal leaders with “minimal profit,” while the transfer to Pakistan and final sales remain under the IRGC’s control.
In the past seven years, military forces have killed or injured more than one thousand Baluch fuel carriers.
