Iran raises gas prices, ensuing protests leave one dead, border with Iraq closed

Sputnik
Sat, 16 Nov 2019 11:13 UTC

© REUTERS/ West Asia News Agency

Protests erupted in several cities across Iran, following Tehran's sudden increase in gas prices, IRNA reported.

According to the news outlet IRNA, protests have been reported in Mashhad, Shiraz, Ahvaz and several other cities, including Sirjan, where people tried to set a local oil storage facility on fire but were stopped by police.

According to preliminary reports, one person has died during clashes in the city of Sirjan.

On Friday, Tehran introduced quotas for retail sales of gasoline and subsequently increased prices.

The move envisages that owners of private cars will be able to purchase 60 litres (13.2 gallons) of gasoline per month, while owners of dual-fuel cars will be able to purchase 30 litres. A separate quota is also provided for taxi drivers — they can use 400 litres of gasoline. A quota for motorcyclists is set at 25 litres, and there are also quotas for trucks and ambulances.

​The price for a litre of gasoline within the quota doubled to 15,000 Iranian rials per litre (about $0.36). Each additional litre of gasoline beyond the quota costs 30,000 rials per litre.

In February, Iranian Oil Minister Bijan Zangeneh said that Iran's gasoline production had grown over 100 percent since 2013, adding that the country could have even become a petrol exporter, but was currently accumulating reserves of the product.

Comment: RT reports of Iran's request to shut down the Iran-Iraq border due to the protests occurring in both countries:

The Shalamcheh border crossing between Iraq and Iran was shut down on Saturday, Reuters has reported. The move was made at Tehran's request and in response to the ongoing mass protests in both countries.

The crossing will remain closed for travel in either direction, the news agency said, citing an Iraqi security source and an Iranian diplomat, without naming either. However, goods will be allowed to travel through.

Iraq has been gripped for weeks by violent street protests against the government's policies. Over 300 people have been killed. The wave of public anger spread from the capital Baghdad to the south of the country, where the Shalamcheh crossing is located.

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