Cars have formed long lines at gas stations in Tehran and several other Iranian cities amid growing rumors of a possible increase in fuel prices, which would severely impact consumers already battered by stagnant wages and rampant inflation.
Images on social media showed lines of cars stretching several blocks from some gas stations on August 16 with local media outlets attributing the chaos to "rumors of a fuel price hike."
The daily Etemad highlighted the congestion at one petrol station in Tehran, saying lines had already formed at 2 a.m.
Speculation about a fuel price increase intensified after comments by Ali Akbar Nejadali, head of the National Iranian Oil Refining and Distribution Company, regarding the "implementation of a filling limitation plan at petrol stations."
In addition, recent reports have suggested that a significant number of petrol stations in Tehran, Karaj, and other cities have been closed, sparking rumors of a fuel shortage.
Nejadali said in an interview with state television that the aim of the limitation plan was to "prevent the closure of gas stations" while at the same time insisting that "there is no shortage in fuel distribution across the country, and the fuel supply situation at stations is satisfactory."
Oil Minister Javad Oji also tried to play down the rumors, saying the government has no plans to increase fuel prices. Reza Navaz, the spokesperson for the National Petrol Station Owners Association said that there were no disruptions in fuel supply to the stations.
Having seen living conditions decimated by years of international sanctions, Iranians have become hypersensitive to price changes, and even rumors of an increase. Mistrust of government officials has compounded the fears.
In November 2019, despite persistent denials of any planned fuel-price hikes by officials, the authorities unexpectedly introduced price increases of up to 200 percent, sparking mass protests that saw thousands of Iranians in more than 100 cities and towns take to the streets. The protests quickly turned political, with many chanting anti-government slogans.
Iranian Human Rights confirmed the death of 324 citizens, including 14 children, in the 2019 protests, but the Reuters news agency has estimated through its research that the actual number of people killed was around 1,500.
Iran, which has been rocked over the past year by demonstrations over deteriorating living conditions coupled with discontent over a lack of freedoms, especially women's rights, has been sharply criticized for a spike in executions as it tries to quell the unrest.