SHANA (Tehran) – President Masoud Pezeshkian criticized imbalances in electricity, water, environmental, and financial sectors and called for fairness in gasoline pricing to protect the livelihoods of all Iranians. Speaking at a Student Day ceremony at Shahid Beheshti University on Sunday, Pezeshkian said the current gasoline system is not only unfair but also harms the country’s most vulnerable citizens.
According to president.ir, Pezeshkian noted that imbalances in electricity, water, the environment, finance, and culture are not new. “There is a gap between our words and our actions. We say one thing but do another. These imbalances persist, but what is the solution? It lies in unity, empathy, and accepting differences,” he said.
Referring to a government promise on gasoline prices, Pezeshkian emphasized justice in policy. “We are currently buying $4 billion worth of gasoline at 60,000 rials per liter and selling it to some people for 1,500 rials. At the same time, we must support the majority of people who do not own cars and do not benefit from cheap gasoline, but we lack sufficient financial resources. Our foreign currency reserves are limited,” he said.
The president warned that continuing to buy expensive gasoline with limited foreign reserves while selling it cheaply to some, leaving insufficient funds for essential goods, is unsustainable. “The foreign currency spent on gasoline imports belongs to all residents of the country, not just a few who benefit from cheap fuel,” he said.
Pezeshkian added that gasoline for government vehicles, free-trade zones, and newly delivered cars has been set at 5,000 rials per liter, noting that the government does not profit from this measure. “I believe any subsidy should reach all people. The current gasoline system is not only unfair but also harms the needy and makes their livelihoods harder,” he said.