Recent statements from the Iranian government shed light on the economic pressures behind the controversial 2019 gasoline price hikes,revealing the decision was aimed at preventing the nation from becoming a fuel importer [[1]]. The price increase, implemented on November 15, 2019, immediately sparked nationwide protests that were met with a violent crackdown by security forces, resulting in hundreds of deaths and thousands of arrests [[3]]. Now, officials claim the move, though politically fraught, was necessary to stabilize the country’s economy amid crippling international sanctions and declining oil revenues [[2]].
Iran’s government was compelled to raise gasoline prices to avert a shift from being an exporter to an importer of the fuel, according to a statement by Mohammad Ghelzari, head of the Government Media Council. The decision followed widespread protests in November 2019, which created a climate where difficult economic choices were avoided.
