Iran has raised fuel prices for its heaviest users, adding to the financial strain on households already grappling with a weak currency and soaring living costs as uncertainties over the continuing conflict with the U.S. drag on.
According to the new policy, starting Tuesday, people who use more than 110 liters of gasoline a month will now pay double the previous rate, with the price rising to 100,000 rials (around 7 U.S. cents) per liter. The government said the change will affect around 15 percent of consumers.
For people who rely on their vehicles to make a living, the higher costs are already being felt. Taxi drivers, in particular, use large amounts of fuel every day simply to stay on the road. They note the knock-on effects of these price hikes will also damage their business.
"When passengers see taxi fares rising, they quickly change their minds, saying they would rather walk a few kilometers and catch the subway. That's the effect we see," said Hossein, an online ride-hailing driver.
Long-distance commuters are also facing tough choices, with some cutting back on trips and others worrying about how higher fuel costs will affect their household budgets.
"With gas prices climbing, we just can't justify using our cars as much. Our paychecks haven't budged, so the more fuel costs rise, the less we're able to drive," said Ma'soomeh, a local commuter in Tehran.
The concerns come as Iran's rial has fallen to a record low of more than 2.2 million to the dollar.
Experts warn that higher fuel costs could ripple through the economy, pushing up transport costs first, followed by food prices and rents. For many families, even putting basic groceries on the table has become increasingly difficult.
At gas stations across the country, staff say customers continue to arrive steadily, but the atmosphere is tense. The restriction on purchasing gas overnight is also an issue, with truck drivers and other regular night-time workers being limited.
"The major problem now is that fueling cards are inactive from midnight to 06:00 every night and only work from 06:00 until midnight," said Sadeq, a gas station attendant.
Iran raises gas prices for heavy users as currency weakens, living costs rise
Armed police officers and soldiers, in coordination with multiple professional rescue forces, are conducting in-depth search and rescue operations for missing people in the core disaster zone in Mingkeng Village of east China's Jiangxi Province.
At around 07:00 on Tuesday, the rescue headquarters integrated 12 professional teams, including the armed police, public security, and the fire department, to launch a search-and-rescue operation for missing persons in the hardest-hit area of the Shixia group of Mingkeng Village.
As of 18:00 on Tuesday, the mudslide that occurred in the early hours of Saturday has killed 12 people, including one newly identified missing person found in subsequent searches. At present, one person remains unaccounted for, and rescue forces are intensifying their search and rescue efforts.
Meanwhile, the Ji'an Detachment of the Jiangxi Armed Police Force deployed officers and soldiers to extend rescue efforts to surrounding disaster-affected townships.
On Tuesday morning, rescuers split into multiple teams and rushed to several villages in Zuo'an Township and Tanghu Township of Suichuan County to urgently evacuate the trapped residents.
Trapped in mountainous areas, villagers faced destroyed access roads and mountain paths that became slippery and impassable after days of heavy rainfall; most stranded residents were elderly people with limited mobility. The armed police officers and soldiers conducted door-to-door checks and carried the trapped residents on their backs, successfully evacuating all of them to safe zones.
"All village roads are completely impassable. The local residents here are all left-behind elderly people and children, and it is extremely difficult to complete the evacuation relying solely on the strength of the town government officials. This time, we are deeply indebted to the armed police officers and soldiers for their assistance in evacuating all these elderly residents," said Wang Yuli, deputy mayor of Tanghu Township in Suichuan County.
"The mountain slopes are covered in thick mud, making the ground extremely slippery. In some sections, stretchers cannot pass through at all, so rescuers have to carry the stranded people on their backs. As long as the people are safe, it is worthwhile to endure all the hardship and exhaustion," said Jiang Jiang, a soldier of the Ji'an Detachment of the Jiangxi Armed Police Force.
Rescuers intensify search efforts in mudslide-hit village in east China's Jiangxi
