Fuel distribution was interrupted this Monday at 60% of Iran’s service stations due to “possible sabotage” and the problem could take a few hours to be resolved, state television announced.
“We had a problem with the card readers” that caused the interruption of fuel supplies at “60% of the stations” across the country, Deputy Oil Minister Jalil Salari told television.
In Iran, motorists can obtain a digital card issued by the authorities, which allows them to benefit from a monthly subsidized gasoline quota.
Citing anonymous sources, the television station referred to the “possibility of sabotage” in the country’s fuel distribution system, without further explanation.
Service stations have turned off the system and “fuel is already being supplied” without the need for cards, Salari said.
The Oil Ministry is “trying to resolve the issue” in the “next six to seven hours,” according to a statement cited by state television.
In October 2021, a cyber attack caused a week-long blackout at gas stations.
The unprecedented magnitude of the cyberattack provoked a reaction from the highest Iranian authorities and caused traffic jams on Tehran’s main roads and long queues at gas stations.
Iran, whose economy has been hit by severe international sanctions, has the world’s fourth-largest proven oil reserves.
Source: TSF
