Iran’s Oil-Rich Southern Cities Face Severe Fuel Shortages and Endless Queues
Under new regulations regarding aging vehicles, gasoline-powered passenger cars 20 years or older, specifically 2006 models and older, face new fuel quota restrictions.
Many social media users reacted critically to the enforcement of this rule. One X user wrote that economic reforms once again target lower-income groups, noting: “If someone had the financial means, they wouldn’t be driving a 2006 or older model car. Why must the pressure of these decisions fall again on the poor and underprivileged?”
Critics argue that during economic shifts much like the removal of subsidies, the government acts in ways that place the heaviest burden on lower-income populations rather than offering them support.
Mostafa, the driver in Bushehr, echoed these concerns: “Half of the taxis in Bushehr are Pride models from 2003 and 2004. How is a driver whose only asset is an aging Pride and who feeds his family with it supposed to manage if his fuel quota is cut? Why is it that every time a new economic decision is made, the first target group is those with the least financial resilience?”
For fishermen, fuel represents more than a routine expense. “Amoo Gholam,” who owns a fishing boat in Qeshm, told IranWire: “For us, fuel is the ability to work. When fuel shortages are discussed, everyone thinks of cars and motorcycles. As a fisherman, I can’t go to sea without fuel. Without going to sea, there is no income.”
Amoo Gholam had previously spoken to IranWire about maritime insecurity in waters that sustain thousands of fishing families, detailing the destruction of docks and the sinking of fishing boats during the recent war.
When a Larger Crisis Swallows Others
Deprivation and inequality in the south existed before the war, but the conflict added a new layer. During the third round of U.S. strikes in southern Iran, energy, transportation, and communications infrastructure in Hormozgan sustained damage. Official reports confirmed damage to oil facilities and fuel storage tanks, though petroleum officials maintain that the national distribution network prevented widespread shortages. These statements suggest the issue may not be a production crisis, but rather one of imports, distribution, and consumer access.
For the people of Hormozgan, having lived through three wars where a sense of security failed to return even after ceasefires were declared,d war is not merely the sound of explosions or anxiety for fishermen, dockworkers, and refinery laborers. In this region, security, fuel, work, transport, and income are interconnected. Morteza says: “A piece of the war reveals itself days and hours after a ceasefire in these endless queues.”
As this report was being prepared, provincial authorities in Hormozgan announced plans to activate emergency fuel cards at stations to shorten lines. Simultaneously, residents in cities across Mazandaran, North Khorasan, and Tabriz reported long fuel lines and emerging shortages in other parts of the country.