Aref Cites 23 Fold Gap in Gasoline Subsidy Between Income Deciles as Government Denies 80,000 Toman Figure

According to Ecoiran, citing Donya-e-Eqtesad and published Sunday, Shahrivar 1, 1405 (August 23, 2026), First Vice President Mohammad Reza Aref said in remarks on gasoline subsidies that Iran's top income decile benefits from 23 times more gasoline subsidy than the bottom decile, and that past governments had backed away from fixing this imbalance to avoid political "trouble." Aref, pointing to the multi billion dollar cost of subsidized gasoline, stressed the need for "groundwork and cooperation" to reform the policy and described gasoline as part of the "national wealth belonging to future generations." He said Iran's normal gasoline output is about 110 million liters a day, reaching up to 125 million liters under some conditions, while consumption during the recent 12 day war exceeded 150 million liters a day.

Responding to rumors of an 80,000 toman gasoline price, government spokeswoman Fatemeh Mohajerani said the figure is inaccurate and that no new price or pricing model has been approved so far. Mohajerani said that if any decision is finalized, the government must communicate it transparently and directly to the public. Aref's remarks did not name a specific figure, and observers see them as a sign the government is preparing public opinion for a possible reform of fuel policy, potentially through rationing or a multi tier pricing system.