Iran,  Iran Nuclear Watch

Iran Watch: Gas Rationing Spurs Violence in Iran

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A car burns inside a petrol station in northwest Tehran, 26 June 2007. Angry youths torched petrol stations and long queues formed at fuel pumps after oil-rich Iran announced the start of fuel rationing, triggering nationwide protests.

Iran fuel rationing sparks anger, pump stations burnt

Angry Iranian motorists queued for gasoline on Wednesday hours after the world’s fourth largest oil exporter imposed fuel rationing, sparking chaotic scenes and the torching of two pump stations in the capital.

Drivers raced to fill up their tanks late on Tuesday after the Oil Ministry announced the delayed scheme would finally go ahead at midnight after months of confusion and conflicting statements, forming lines that stretched hundreds of meters.

One fuel station in Pounak, a poorer area of the capital, was set alight while another in eastern Tehran was partially burnt, two of its pumps completely destroyed by fire, witnesses said.
“Last night there were a lot of fights, people were furious due to the sudden decision,” said a 55-year-old pump attendant, who asked for his name not to be used.

Those who missed the midnight deadline still faced long lines early on Wednesday in a country where many see abundant and cheap fuel as a right, even after government in May hiked the liter price by 25 percent to 1,000 rials (11 U.S. cents).

Despite its huge energy reserves, Iran lacks refining capacity and must import about 40 percent of its gasoline, a sensitive issue when world powers have threatened new U.N. sanctions in a row with Tehran over its nuclear program.

Ironic isn’t it, that Iran one of the world’s leading oil exporters has a scarcity of gasoline? Yet, they persist in building nuclear facilities for nuclear power – NOT.

The Iranian Mullahs covet nuclear weapons and are facing a third round of United Nations Security Council sanctions over their nuclear program.

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Iranians pump gasoline into flasks at a petrol station in Tehran.

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Iranians line up to pump gasoline at a petrol station in downtown Tehran, 26 June 2007.

This violence highlights Iran’s achille’s heel. Any military action against Iran because of their reckless nuclear program by Israel and/or the United States would target Iran’s oil fields and their oil refineries. Iran’s economy would quickly stop – as would their military because of the lack of gasoline/fuel.

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An Iranian man walks past a damaged petrol station in the northwest of Tehran.

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Iranians watch a petrol station burn in Tehran, 26 June 2007.

Will this violence spur blowback by the Iranian clerics on the Iranian people?

You bet…..watch for it…….

And, also watch the FECKLESS United Nations attempt to impose harsher economic sanctions on Iran.

Stay tuned……

MM has MORE:

There’s rioting over gas rationing in Iran. Bloggers covering the turmoil here , here, and here. Iran is blaming–who else?–the U.S. for the unrest.

The Corner’s Iran round-up here.

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