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Iranian Vice President for Executive Affairs Mohammad Jafar Ghaempanah stated Thursday that the U.S. naval blockade on Iranian ports is preventing fuel imports at a time when domestic production is insufficient to meet national demand. State news agency IRNA quoted Ghaempanah as stating, "Gasoline production is insufficient, and because of the U.S. naval blockade, we cannot import it."
​The announcement follows days of long queues of vehicles forming outside petrol stations across the country after the government implemented a fuel rationing plan that reduces long-standing quotas. Fuel prices in Iran, one of the world's major oil producers, remain among the lowest globally, making quota adjustments and supply disruptions politically sensitive, echoing the 2019 protests triggered by sudden price hikes.
​The fuel crisis unfolds as Iran engages in negotiations mediated by Oman, while asserting that the Strait of Hormuz will remain closed unless Washington abides by the memorandum of understanding signed on June 18, 2026, which stipulates lifting the U.S. blockade and economic sanctions. Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) spokesperson Hossein Mohebbi reiterated Wednesday that the strategic waterway will under no circumstances reopen unless the U.S. accepts Tehran's conditions.
​Washington reimposed its naval counter-blockade on Iranian ports following a resurgence of intense clashes in July, which Iranian officials warned directly undermines the June navigation agreement. The conflict originally erupted on February 28 following joint U.S.-Israeli strikes on Iran, leading to Tehran's closure of the Strait of Hormuz—a crucial maritime transit route that handled nearly one-fifth of global energy supplies prior to the war.