According to the news outlet IRNA, protests have been reported in Mashhad, Shiraz, Ahvaz and several other cities, including Sirjan, where people tried to set a local oil storage facility on fire but were stopped by police.
According to preliminary reports, one person has died during clashes in the city of Sirjan.
On Friday, Tehran introduced quotas for retail sales of gasoline and subsequently increased prices.
The move envisages that owners of private cars will be able to purchase 60 litres (13.2 gallons) of gasoline per month, while owners of dual-fuel cars will be able to purchase 30 litres. A separate quota is also provided for taxi drivers — they can use 400 litres of gasoline. A quota for motorcyclists is set at 25 litres, and there are also quotas for trucks and ambulances.
Bushehr, S #Iran
— Iran News Wire (@IranNW) November 16, 2019
"We don't want incompetent officials!" #IranProtests pic.twitter.com/dmU6b7aXWb
The price for a litre of gasoline within the quota doubled to 15,000 Iranian rials per litre (about $0.36). Each additional litre of gasoline beyond the quota costs 30,000 rials per litre.
In February, Iranian Oil Minister Bijan Zangeneh said that Iran's gasoline production had grown over 100 percent since 2013, adding that the country could have even become a petrol exporter, but was currently accumulating reserves of the product.
