Iran: Gasoline Price Hikes, Rationing Go Into Effect

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Stratfor

Nov 15, 2019

What Happened: With its economy crippled by U.S. sanctions, Iran introduced a gasoline rationing program and raised fuel prices at midnight Nov. 15, France 24 reported.

Why It Matters: The government's institution of the quotas and rationing system are an indication of Iran's economic difficulties. A similar program initiated in 2007 led to widespread protests and violence. That program was lifted in 2015, and Tehran tried to subsidize gasoline as long as it could in the face of economic pressure from Washington. The end of the fuel subsidy ahead of Iranian parliamentary elections could hurt President Hassan Rouhani, who won office partly on the strength of his economic policies.

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Nov.15 2019

Unconfirmed.

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news/2019-11-17/one-killed-in-iran--protests-over-fuel-price-hike/11711582]Protests over shock fuel price hikes in Iran spread to multiple cities killing one

Nov. 16 2019

One person has been killed and others injured in protests that spread across Iran after a surprise decision by the Government to impose petrol price hikes and rationing in the country hit by US sanctions.

The death occurred in the central city of Sirjan, where people tried to set fire to a fuel depot but were thwarted by security forces, the semi-official ISNA news agency reported.

It came as the demonstrations broke out on Friday (local time), hours after it was announced the price of petrol would be hiked by 50 per cent for the first 60 litres and 300 per cent for anything above that each month.

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Nov. 18 2019