Iran has taken a new step toward easing its growing domestic fuel pressures, registering the first cargo of imported premium gasoline on the Iran Energy Exchange on Tuesday. The announcement was made by Mohammad Sadegh Azimifar, head of the National Iranian Oil Refining and Distribution Company (NIORDC), who said licenses have now been issued for 18 importing companies and six distributors to bring premium gasoline into the country.
According to Azimifar, the Oil Ministry has shifted its policy: NIORDC will act solely as a licensing authority, while the private sector is responsible for both importing and distributing premium gasoline. The first 300,000-liter cargo has been listed at a base price of 65,8000 rials (70 cents) per liter.
The move comes as Iran faces one of its most challenging gasoline balances in a decade. Ultra-cheap domestic fuel—priced at just a fraction of regional levels—has fueled rampant cross-border smuggling. At the same time, rising domestic consumption and stagnant refining capacity have pushed Iran, despite its vast oil reserves, into the uncomfortable position of having to import gasoline to meet demand. The country’s premium gasoline supply has been especially strained, with output unable to keep pace.
Azimifar also highlighted the deployment of a new real-time fuel monitoring system, integrating data from refineries, pipelines, and fuel stations to track every liter from production to consumption. Officials hope the system will identify leakages, theft, and irregular flows more effectively, reducing losses that have long plagued the sector.
On diesel, Azimifar said tighter monitoring and anti-smuggling efforts have lowered daily gasoil consumption by 3 to 5 million liters in recent months. He added that with better control, Iran could resume diesel exports to neighboring countries—a trade that once provided significant revenue.
For now, however, Iran’s new reliance on imported premium gasoline reflects the deeper structural challenges of a subsidy-driven market struggling to balance supply, demand, and regional fuel dynamics.
