Qaimpanah: 80,000-toman gasoline plan not on the government's agenda
A senior presidential aide says the proposal is not under consideration and frames a long-term strategy to curb fuel smuggling through energy-subsidy reform.
Iranian official says the 80,000-toman gasoline plan is not on the government's agenda, framing a long-term approach to curb smuggling by aligning energy subsidies with international prices and ensuring fair distribution.
Tehran — IRNA — On Sept. 16, 2026, Mohammad Jafar Qaimpanah, the head of the presidential administration, said that the plan to raise gasoline prices to 80,000 tomans is not on the government’s agenda. He stressed that balancing fuel prices would require balancing wages and pensions, arguing that fuel cannot be priced at international or regional levels while people’s incomes are not. During a visit to the anti-smuggling of goods and currency task force, he noted concerns about daily fuel smuggling and said that in the long term, addressing smuggling would involve distributing energy subsidies more equitably. He said the price gap between Iran and neighboring countries is a major driver of smuggling and that the idea is not to raise current prices immediately, but to consider long-term reform that would bring energy subsidies in line with international prices and compensate citizens. The aim, he added, is to pursue justice—since wealthier households with multiple homes and cars use more subsidies than poorer households. While the plan is not currently on the government’s agenda, the concept was raised to highlight corruption choke points and to explore ways to counter smuggling through subsidy reform.