Kilometre-long petrol queues in Iran signal further strain on Tehran

# Analysis Iran's fuel crisis represents a critical failure of the Islamic Republic's energy management and reveals deepening economic dysfunction that extends far beyond gas stations. Despite sitting atop the world's fourth-largest proven oil reserves, Iran cannot meet domestic demand due to a combination of aging refinery capacity, international sanctions that restrict spare parts and technology imports, and chronic underinvestment in infrastructure—a paradox that underscores how political mismanagement can transform resource abundance into scarcity. The panic buying and kilometre-long queues indicate that ordinary Iranians have lost faith in government assurances, a psychological shift that typically precedes broader public discontent and can accelerate capital flight and currency instability. If the shortage persists or worsens, it will compound existing inflation and transportation costs, disproportionately harming working-class Iranians while potentially triggering the kind of sustained unrest that has repeatedly challenged the government's legitimacy over the past decade.