The economic repercussions of the war and US port blockades are exacerbating the struggles of the Iranian people. They were already grappling with currency devaluation, high unemployment rates, and escalating commodity prices.
On 7/9, the Iranian government doubled the price of gasoline for those consuming more than 110 liters per month, raising it to the equivalent of 0,04 USD per liter. This means that after exhausting their quota of subsidized fuel, people could pay 2 USD to fill a car tank and 5 USD for a truck. This represents a significant expense for Iranians, most of whom earn just over 100 USD per month.
Several gas stations ran out of fuel as drivers rushed to buy before the new prices took effect. Many individuals found themselves stranded at stations, unable to purchase fuel. Taxi and truck drivers have voiced their opposition as living conditions continue to decline.
Iran was compelled to significantly reduce fuel subsidies amid rising costs to support its citizens. The government is also racing to repair oil refineries damaged by the war. Concurrently, importing gasoline is difficult due to US port blockades.
A driver in Aryanshahr, northeast Iran, stated on 9/9 that he and his family were stranded at a gas station. "They said there's no gas left and we have to wait until tomorrow", he said in a video posted by the Iran Automobile Drivers' Union.
On 10/9, 120 taxi drivers in Kerman province, eastern Iran, protested against the reduction of subsidized fuel quotas. They reported a monthly fuel shortage of over 30%. "We wait for customers for 20 days, then struggle for the remaining 10 days due to lack of fuel", a driver told the union.
Employees of Snapp, Iran's delivery and ride-hailing service, also went on strike this week in several cities. Snapp was once a symbol of business prospects in the country.
Snapp launched in 2014, during a period when Iran's economy began to open up, and is currently one of the country's largest private employers, with 3 million drivers.
In Arak, an industrial center in western Iran, dozens of drivers gathered in front of the city government headquarters on 7/9, stating they could no longer afford their livelihoods. One person held a sign that read: "This fare is not enough to keep the wheels of life turning".
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A man filling up his car in Tehran, 12/2025. *Photo: Reuters* |
The fuel crisis has also caused dissatisfaction among truck drivers. In late august, truck drivers at the Mehran border crossing staged a one-day strike to protest fuel shortages, according to the US non-profit organization HRANA.
On 8/9, truck drivers at Bandar Abbas port, near the Strait of Hormuz, warned they might follow suit. "Drivers and their families have to pay out of their own pockets. The problem is we cannot endure this pressure any longer", the port drivers stated in a declaration regarding the fuel price increase.
Transport companies reported facing problems that did not even occur during the intense early stages of the war. At that time, truck drivers were "still busy transporting goods during the war, amidst missile attacks, and did not let the flow of goods be interrupted even for one hour", Jalal Mousavi, Vice President of the Iran Truck Drivers' Association, told the Iran Labor News Agency.
Iran's inflation is expected to rise sharply as the rial's value has fallen significantly in recent weeks. Last month, food price inflation reached 128%. By early this month, over 2,3 million Iranian rials were needed to exchange for 1 USD, marking an all-time low.
A Tehran resident in his seventies expressed shock when purchasing plastic products. A roll of 30 trash bags now costs the equivalent of 4,26 USD. This is due to Israel's fierce attacks on Iran's petrochemical plants at the start of the war.
While some affluent individuals remain in central Tehran, most residents have fallen into severe hardship. This situation has even become the subject of plays, art exhibitions, and films. "Everything revolves around poverty", he stated.
By Ha Thu (according to WSJ, Reuters)
