Iran is to stop importing petrol from September and instead start rationing the fuel, its oil minister has said.
The move comes as Tehran seeks to reduce the billions of dollars it spends each year on petrol imports due to a shortage of domestic refineries.
While Iran is the world's fourth largest oil producer, it currently can only produce 57% of the country's daily petrol consumption.
The news comes as Iran continues its nuclear stand-off with the West.
Heavily subsidised
Petrol imports are an expensive problem for the Iranian government because it heavily subsidies its domestic petrol prices.
A litre of regular petrol in Iran currently costs just 800 rials (9 cents; 5p).
This problem has intensified for Tehran due to an upsurge in petrol demand caused by a big rise in car ownership, and increased petrol consumption to Iran's neighbours, where prices are far higher.
Iran's oil minister Kazem Vaziri Hamaneh said the decision to start rationing petrol was preferable to rising prices.
The country's ongoing nuclear row with the West centres on Iran's attempts to build its first nuclear power station.
While Tehran insists its ambitions are solely power generation, the US and Europe fear Iran wishes to develop nuclear weapons.
Iran to ration Gas
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frigidmagi
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#1 Iran to ration Gas
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Comrade Tortoise
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#2
WTF. Why is rationing better than raising prices? The idiots wont have the supply problems if they increase the fucking price... ugh
I knew the fundie muslims were idiots, but this takes the fucking cake
I knew the fundie muslims were idiots, but this takes the fucking cake
"Nothing in biology makes sense except in the light of evolution."
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There is no word harsh enough for this. No verbal edge sharp and cold enough to set forth the flaying needed. English is to young and the elder languages of the earth beyond me. ~Frigid
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There is no word harsh enough for this. No verbal edge sharp and cold enough to set forth the flaying needed. English is to young and the elder languages of the earth beyond me. ~Frigid
The Holocaust was an Amazing Logistical Achievement~Havoc
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Cynical Cat
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#3
Politics. President Nutjob is quite popular with the less than wealthy part of the masses and is percieved as an anti-corruption crusader. His base will be less hard hit by rationing since they aren't the big consumers in terms of individual quantity, than a price increase.Comrade Tortoise wrote:WTF. Why is rationing better than raising prices? The idiots wont have the supply problems if they increase the fucking price... ugh
I knew the fundie muslims were idiots, but this takes the fucking cake
It's not that I'm unforgiving, it's that most of the people who wrong me are unrepentant assholes.
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frigidmagi
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#4
It's possible that a price increase would just be seen as a tactic that beneifits the wealthy as well, alot like how it is seen here.
"it takes two sides to end a war but only one to start one. And those who do not have swords may still die upon them." Tolken