Iran warns of fuel crisis as US naval blockade cuts off gasoline imports

Long lines snaked past petrol stations in Tehran on August 24 and 25, 2026. Drivers were told they could fill up a maximum of 20 liters per vehicle. For a country sitting atop some of the world’s largest crude oil reserves, it was a striking image. Iran is facing a serious gasoline shortage, and the timing is not coincidental. A US naval blockade reimposed on July 14, 2026, has effectively cut off the country’s ability to import refined fuel, exposing a structural vulnerability that Iranian officials had been quietly worried about for months. The math behind the shortage Iran produces roughly 121 million liters of gasoline per day domestically. The country consumes around 135 million liters per day. That gap, 14 to 15 million liters daily, was previously filled through imports. The blockade alone would have been painful. The situation is worse because US and Israeli strikes earlier in 2026 damaged Iranian refining infrastructure, pulling domestic output below what it might otherwise have been. The country is now dealing with a supply squeeze from two directions at once. Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian had flagged the risk of formal fuel rationing as far back as May 2026, sugges...