Iran’s Fuel Crisis ROCKS Nation as Rationing Tightens Ahead of Bloody November Anniversary

Jeff Rainforth Jeff Rainforth, News, War

Long lines at gas stations, fuel restrictions and protests by taxi drivers are exposing the pressure on Iran’s already strained economy. The latest disruptions come as the government withdraws shared fuel cards in more provinces—and as the country marks seven years since the fuel-price increase that ignited the “Bloody November” protests.

Iranian motorists reportedly faced hours-long waits at stations in several cities over the weekend. Videos and accounts cited by The New York Post described frustrated drivers in places including Kazeroun, Bandar Abbas, Evaz and Lordegan. In Ardabil, taxi drivers reportedly parked their vehicles and refused to pick up passengers in protest. The extent of the disruptions is difficult to independently establish from social-media footage alone, but Iranian officials have acknowledged that fuel supplies are under pressure.

The immediate change involves gas-station fuel cards—not the personal cards that provide drivers with subsidized monthly fuel allocations. Until recently, drivers who used up their own quota could use a station’s shared card to buy additional gasoline at a higher price. Iran International reported that the shared cards have been withdrawn in 11 provinces, and that officials say the process will continue elsewhere. That is roughly a third of Iran’s provinces, not necessarily a third of its population or land area.

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The change leaves drivers with fewer options once they exceed their personal allocation. Iran’s quota system divides gasoline into price tiers, with a limited monthly amount available at the lowest subsidized price and additional amounts at higher rates. Officials say station cards were being abused, including through fuel smuggling across borders. Critics and transport operators warn that restricting access could make daily travel and commercial driving more difficult—and could add to the cost of moving goods.

The fuel-card restrictions are unfolding against a broader supply problem. Iran’s own energy officials have said the country is struggling to match gasoline production with demand. Estimates cited by Iranian media put daily consumption above domestic production, with the difference previously covered in part by imports. An Iranian parliamentary energy official said gasoline imports had stopped under the U.S. naval blockade, removing one way the country had been filling that gap.

That makes the blockade a significant pressure point—but not the whole explanation. Reporting before the latest restrictions described a fuel deficit driven by high consumption, weak vehicle efficiency, refinery and production constraints, smuggling, and the government’s long-standing policy of keeping gasoline heavily subsidized. The shortages and rationing pressures predate the current round of card withdrawals. The conflict and blockade appear to have made an existing imbalance harder to manage.

This creates a difficult choice for Iranian leaders. Raising prices could reduce demand and help close the gap, but it risks provoking public anger. Tightening quotas or removing station cards also restricts access, while leaving the subsidized prices largely untouched. Either approach can impose costs on households and businesses already dealing with inflation, declining purchasing power and rising living expenses.

The timing carries a painful historical echo. On November 15, 2019, the government abruptly raised fuel prices, setting off protests that spread across more than 100 cities. Demonstrations broadened into anger over economic hardship, corruption and political repression. Iranian security forces responded with lethal force and authorities shut down much of the internet. Amnesty International documented 321 people killed by security forces during the crackdown; the complete toll remains disputed and difficult to establish.

Seven years later, the government is again trying to manage fuel demand without triggering a new price shock. The comparison does not mean today’s restrictions will produce protests on the same scale. But the memory of 2019 helps explain why gasoline policy remains so politically sensitive—and why even administrative changes to fuel access can produce a strong public reaction.

These events point to serious economic and governance pressures. They do not, by themselves, prove that Iranian society is “collapsing.” The more precise picture is of a government confronting a widening fuel-supply problem while trying to preserve a pricing system that has become increasingly difficult to sustain. If queues spread, transport services are disrupted and restrictions deepen, the consequences could reach beyond the gas station into household budgets, deliveries and the broader economy.

For now, the developments to watch are whether the government removes shared fuel cards from additional provinces, changes personal quotas or prices, and whether reported driver protests spread. Iran’s leaders are attempting to contain a fuel crisis while avoiding a repeat of the unrest that followed the 2019 price increase. That history gives the current shortages significance beyond the pumps.

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