Iran has been teetering on the brink with its economy.
As we reported, the U.S. naval blockade has cut off the regime's shipping, in and out. That's killing their revenue. Their currency has plunged to a record low, and inflation is stifling the people.
Now, on top of it, the U.S. has upped the pressure even more with Operation Economic Outcast to cut off any economic lifelines the regime has with countries/entities/people all around the world, and sanctioning anyone who continues to do business with Iran. The United Arab Emirates, one of their biggest trading partners, has now cut them off.
Their parliamentary speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf admitted they were running out of time and said, “No matter how strong we are militarily, if the people are hungry and we do not have financial circulation, economic growth and domestic production, we will not endure."
Now, Executive Vice President Mohammad Jafar Ghaempanah is confirming that Iran cannot import gasoline because of the U.S. naval blockade and is warning that the current fuel situation cannot continue, the state-run IRNA news agency said on Wednesday.
“Continuing on this path is impossible,” Ghaempanah declared, explaining that the domestic gasoline production was insufficient and that “with the US naval blockade, we cannot import gasoline.”
There are long lines at the gas pumps in Tehran and other cities. Including Mashhad.
Long lines of cars stretched through parts of Tehran and the northeastern Iranian city of Mashhad on Tuesday and Wednesday as motorists queued for gasoline and diesel, with some lines blocking entire streets, videos sent to Iran International showed. pic.twitter.com/P6AOUoy40V
— Iran International English (@IranIntl_En) August 26, 2026
They've already had to go deep into their strategic reserve.
Iran's drawdown of strategic fuel reserves has reached a “red alert” level and could exhaust remaining stocks within weeks, fueling disagreement between President Masoud Pezeshkian and the Revolutionary Guards, informed sources told Iran International on Wednesday.
The reserves, intended to cushion severe shortages and emergencies, have been tapped at a pace in recent weeks that has prompted warnings from experts within the state about the consequences of continuing, the sources said.
They used to make up any shortfalls in domestic production with imports, but now, with the blockade, they are unable to do that.