Posted on 06/27/2007 7:14:43 AM PDT by Ernest_at_the_Beach
Several petrol stations have been torched in the Iranian capital Tehran, after the government announced fuel rationing for private vehicles. Windows were smashed and stones thrown at the stations, and there was traffic chaos as motorists queued to buy fuel.
Iranians were given only two hours' notice of the move that limits private drivers to 100 litres of fuel a month. Despite its huge energy reserves, Iran lacks refining capacity and it imports about 40% of its petrol.
Iran has a large budget deficit largely caused by fuel subsidies and the inflation rate is estimated at 20-30%. The BBC Tehran correspondent Frances Harrison says Iran is trying to rein in fuel consumption over fears of possible UN sanctions over its nuclear programme. Iran fears the West could impose sanctions on its petrol imports and cripple its economy. 'Dangerous move' There was violence in nine areas of Tehran as angry youths attacked petrol stations, Raja News, a website linked to Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, reported. Reports of attacks on petrol stations elsewhere in the country could not be confirmed. Some people came on foot with jerry cans and plastic bottles and the police were out in force to stem unrest, amid reports of scuffles at petrol stations.
The restrictions began at midnight local time on Wednesday (2030 GMT Tuesday) and would continue for four months - with a possible extension to six months - the government said. There is anger and frustration the government did not give people more notice. Some MPs have called for an end to the rationing and parliament may postpone its summer recess to deal with the crisis. "Guns, fireworks, tanks, [President] Ahmadinejad should be killed," chanted angry youths, throwing stones at police.
The protests are the first large-scale outpouring of anger against the Iranian government since Mr Ahmadinejad took office in 2005. "I think rationing is not bad by itself but it must be organised," one man told the Associated Press news agency. "One cannot announce at 9pm that the rationing would start at midnight, they should have announced the exact date at least two days earlier." Iran's petrol is heavily subsidised, sold at about a fifth of its real cost.
The price of 1,000 rials ($0.11) per litre makes Iran one of the cheapest countries in the world for motorists. So far there has been no announcement about whether Iranians can buy more petrol at the real market cost. Licensed taxi drivers will be able to buy 800 litres a month at the subsidised price. US pressure Our correspondent says rationing fuel is only likely to add to high inflation. It is a dangerous move for any elected government, especially in an oil-rich country like Iran, where people think cheap fuel is their birthright and public transport is very limited, she says. The US, which is leading efforts to pressure Iran to suspend its uranium enrichment activities, has said Iran's fuel imports are a point of "leverage". Washington and other Western nations accuse the Islamic Republic of seeking to build nuclear weapons.
Iran says its nuclear programme is entirely peaceful and is solely aimed at producing civilian nuclear power. BBC Middle East analyst Roger Hardy says there is no sign of Iran backing down politically on the nuclear issue. But in economic terms, the international pressure is having some effect. Foreign companies are less willing to invest in Iran, and foreign banks are withholding credit. For the Iranian authorities, images of angry motorists attacking petrol stations create an unwelcome impression of economic vulnerability, our correspondent adds.
Are you in Iran? Have you been affected by the rationing? If you have any information you would like to share with the BBC you can do so using the form below:
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Yes, it is.
There is a grand total of 1 oil refinery in Iran. Quite a tempting target.
-—There is a grand total of 1 oil refinery in Iran. Quite a tempting target.-—
Iran has several refineries
Abadan (400,000-bbl/d capacity)
Isfahan (265,000 bbl/d)
Bandar Abbas (232,000 bbl/d)
Tehran (225,000 bbl/d)
Arak (150,000 bbl/d)
Tabriz (112,000 bbl/d)
Refineries are also in Kermanshah, Shiraz and Lavan Island .
EIA, Country Analysis Briefs, Iran, Oil
http://www.eia.doe.gov/emeu/cabs/Iran/Oil.html
National Iranian Oil Refining and Distribution Company
http://www.nioc.org/subCompanies/niordc/index.asp
My word. One refinery. I wonder how much ordnance would be required to reduce that to dust? A conventional weapon, that is.
This is a good news/bad new report.
One thing jumped out at me, esp given alot of other reports about war preps in the region:”
“The restrictions began at midnight local time on Wednesday (2030 GMT Tuesday) and would continue for four months - with a possible extension to six months - the government said.”
Why the time table? If this is economic what will be different in 4-6 months? We kow that the Iranian economy has been bad and there are shortages, and this may explain whats going on, but could this also be a diverting of fuel supplies to military reserves? Could this be a precursor move that could signal that Iran is contemplating or worried about military hostilities in the next few months?
Or, could this drive Iran to start trouble externally to distract an unhappy domestic population?
This is something we can certainly exploit if we play our cards right ... but we need to keep our powder very dry ... just in case.
More instability in a powder keg of a region.
LOL!
Good post, Mac. Thanks!
Your second point had occurred to me as well.
-Rex
Photos....see post #15.
Think Totalitarian Population control...
If the sheeple have no gas, they can only travel by public transportation, and that means they can be TRACKED....
Thanks, thackney.
OK, now we have several targets!
Wonder why we keep hearing that they have just one gasoline refinery?
Excellent analysis!
Yup, and that’s kinda how I see a war with them going ... kind of a 21st century seige by both sides on each others economies.
We would seize Kharg Island, blockade their import and export of fuel products, and hit their refineries. We would put them in a real bind real quick ... then we would systematically take down their nuclear infrastructure.
Iran will try their own version, hitting regional oil facilites in Iraq and the moderate Arab states as well as threaten shipping via the Straits of Hormuz. They’ll try to drive oil through the room and create an economic crisis in the West. All the while unleashing proxies in Iraq and elsewhere.
Our attacks will have the quickest impact but Iran is not an open government and can crush dissent.
Here the impact will be painful, but not as quickly, but public outcry and political opposition in our system of government can have much more of a policy impact.
Basically, we’d see who cries uncle first.
Where do you hear it? The only place I come across that claim is posters on FR.
They are certainly no secret for anyone willing to spend 5 minutes searching on the internet. The can be confirmed by many sources.
Thanks for the reply and the great map....yes,...I’ve heard it here....clearly totally wrong!
National Iranian Oil Company
(NIOC)
Gas Refining Companies
Bid Boland Gas Refinery Co.
Fajr-e-Jam (Kangan) Gas Refinery Co.
Ilam Gas Refinery Co.
Masjed Soleiman Gas Treating Plant
Parsian Gas Refinery Co.
Sarkhon & Qeshm Gas Refinery Co.
Shahid Hashemi Nejad (Khangiran) Gas Refinery Co.
South Pars Gas Complex (SPGC)
National Iranian Oil Refining and Distribution Company
(NIORDC)
Top
National Iranian Oil Refining and Distribution Company (NIORDC)
National Iranian Oil Products Distribution Co. (NIOPDC)
National Iranian Oil Engineering and Construction Co. (NIOEC)
Iranian Oil Pipeline and Telecommunication Co. (IOPTC)
Abadan Oil Refining Co.
Kermanshah Oil Refining Co.
Esfahan Oil Refining Co.
Shiraz Oil Refining Co.
Tehran Oil Refining Co.
Bandar Abbas Oil Refining Co.
Shazand-e-Arak Oil Refining Co.
Tabriz Oil Refining Co.
Lavan Oil Refining Co.
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