Iran parliament speaker urges citizens to cut petrol use

A top Iranian official called on citizens to curb their petrol consumption on Tuesday, as the country faces difficulty importing enough fuel to meet demand due to a US naval blockade.

"Of course, part of the responsibility for this high consumption does not lie with our people; it lies with our industry," parliament speaker and top negotiator Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf said in a televised address.

"But in any case, what is clear is that we need to save gasoline in our consumption."

Washington imposed its blockade of Iranian ports in retaliation for Tehran's closure of the Strait of Hormuz, a vital conduit for Gulf oil and gas shipments.

The US has also recently announced new wide-reaching sanctions aimed at further isolating the Iranian economy.

In recent days, long queues of vehicles have been seen at petrol stations in Tehran.

Iranian Vice President Mohammad Jafar Ghaempanah said last week that domestic petrol production was "insufficient, and because of the US naval blockade, we cannot import it".

Days earlier, the Iranian president's chief of staff had said petrol quotas would be reviewed.

Ghalibaf on Tuesday said that conserving fuel "requires collective wisdom and certainly requires the people's cooperation".

"If we consume it properly, we can manage with the amount of gasoline we produce in the country," he said.

With many Iranians feeling the pinch of soaring inflation and dimmed economic prospects exacerbated by the war, Ghalibaf also announced plans to expand subsidies.

"The government and parliament are determined to increase the credit allocated to the electronic food subsidy programme, especially for those income deciles that are bearing the greatest share of the economic pressure," he said.

Demonstrations over economic concerns last December ultimately spiralled into a broader anti-government protest movement that peaked in January before being quelled.

Ghalibaf on Tuesday insisted that the population's wellbeing was a priority.

"In fact, all our efforts as officials should be aimed at reducing the pressure on the people so that there is less dissatisfaction, because the people's satisfaction is a fundamental principle for us," he said.