عارف می‌گوید افزایش قیمت بنزین با تأخیر انجام می‌شود

🔸Mohammadreza Aref, the First Vice President of Iran, on Sunday called the removal of the gasoline subsidy an “appropriate measure,” but said that if people oppose the increase in fuel prices, this action will not be carried out.

🔸The remarks came after reports about the Masoud Pezeshkian administration’s move to set the free (open) price of gasoline for the “fourth quota” of vehicles.

🔸Aref, referring to the fact that the government pays a lot of subsidy for gasoline and that lower-income groups benefit less from it, defended the removal of the subsidy and then said: “Some good measures need to be carried out with a delay.”

🔸He added: “If we feel that people are opposed or not ready, we will certainly not do that.”

🔸This comes while efforts to increase gasoline prices have faced opposition from conservative figures, including the Speaker of the Islamic Consultative Assembly.

🔸Mohsen Paknejad, the Minister of Oil in the Pezeshkian government, also on Sunday described the country’s gasoline shortage as an “imbalance between production and consumption,” and said that various plans are under review in the government, none of which has been finalized.

🔸Two days ago, Masoud Pezeshkian, pointing to the impact of the U.S. maritime blockade and “financial restrictions” on exports and imports, said: “Who said the government should buy gasoline at 130 thousand tomans and then sell it for 1,500 tomans, and then, in the process, we should face limitations for increasing the value of the grocery vouchers credit, addressing the financial obligations of wheat farmers, insurance, the livelihoods of workers, retirees, and civil servants?”

🔸This is while the U.S. Treasury Secretary is expected to announce, on Monday, details of Washington’s new plan to intensify sanctions against Iran in a press conference. On Thursday, Scott Bessent explicitly said that Washington’s plan to impose a severe increase in economic sanctions is aimed at “overthrowing” the government of the Islamic Republic.