Iran on Thursday began pilot sales of imported super gasoline through mobile fuel trucks, offering the high-octane fuel at market prices far above the country’s newly introduced three-tier subsidized system, state media reported.
Oil Minister Mohsen Paknejad said the rollout was designed to test consumer demand and price acceptance, with initial distribution carried out by five mobile fuel vehicles in Tehran. The imports are being handled by private, non-state firms, he said.
The price of the imported super gasoline was set at 800,000 rials per liter, equivalent to about $0.59 at the current market exchange rate of 1,350,000 rials to the dollar. An additional distribution fee of 2,500 rials per liter (about $0.002) applies, according to local reports.
Paknejad said more than 17 companies had already received permits to import super gasoline, but their entry into the market would depend on the outcome of the pilot phase and consumer response to the final price.
“The price is based on the full cost,” he said, citing procurement, transport, distribution and a regulated profit margin. He added that the process was being monitored to prevent misuse.
The imported fuel is being sold outside Iran’s quota system and does not affect existing allocations, Paknejad said.
Iran recently introduced a three-tier gasoline pricing system, under which subsidized fuel remains available at much lower prices. Monthly quota gasoline is priced at 15,000 rials per liter (about $0.01), non-quota purchases with personal smart fuel cards at 30,000 rials (about $0.02), and a higher tier for non-card or excess consumption at 50,000 rials per liter (about $0.04).
The imported super gasoline price is therefore roughly 16 times higher than the highest domestic tier and more than 50 times the subsidized quota rate, showing the gap between state-controlled pricing and market-based fuel costs.
Officials have said the imported fuel is intended for drivers of high-performance and imported vehicles that require higher octane gasoline, which has been largely unavailable domestically in recent years.
The pilot follows the sale of an initial 300,000-liter cargo of imported super gasoline on Iran’s energy exchange in November at 658,000 rials per liter (about $0.49), signaling a gradual shift toward market-priced fuel for specific consumer segments.
Iran’s government has sought to curb fuel subsidies while avoiding social unrest, after a nationwide gasoline price hike in 2019 triggered widespread protests. Demand for gasoline has continued to exceed domestic production, driven by inefficient vehicles, smuggling and rising consumption, according to officials.
Paknejad said the current trial would help determine whether broader distribution of imported super gasoline is commercially viable, adding that supply could be expanded if demand proves sustainable.
“Any sounds of explosions or gunfire heard during these two days will be related to the drill and will be fully controlled,” Ghorban Valizadeh said, according to Mehr news agency. He urged residents to remain calm.
Valizadeh, commander of the Sayyed al-Shohada Guards unit in Tehran province, said the exercise, known as “Beit al-Moqaddas 16,” will include staged scenarios and will be carried out by ground units.
He said the drill is held every year under the same name by ground forces of the Revolutionary Guards in different parts of the country, framing it as a standard exercise rather than a new development.
The Guards’ ground forces are tasked with homeland defense and the suppression of internal threats.
Contradictory reports on missile activity
The announcement follows contradictory reports earlier this week after an IRGC-aligned outlet reported missile tests over several Iranian cities, including Tehran, Isfahan and Mashhad. State television later denied that any missile launches had taken place, saying circulating images were not linked to a test.
Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Monday that Israel was aware Iran was conducting military exercises and was making preparations.
Defense analyst Farzin Nadimi told Iran International that the reported drills could be read as a signal, saying the Guards were showing they could carry out coordinated military activity across different parts of Iran.
Iranian officials have repeatedly said the country’s military activities are defensive. Earlier this week, Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei said Iran’s defense capabilities were not open to discussion.
