A strange situation arose during the visit of Iranian President Masood Pipeshkian, when three government vehicles involved in his convoy deteriorated at the same time. Special Inspector of the President, Mustafa Molawi informed that all the vehicles were closed shortly after the fuel was filled from a petrol pump located near Takestan city of Kajvi province. After this, he had to complete his journey ahead by taking a grand taxi.

When investigation was done, it was found that water was added to the fuel. Due to this adulteration, there was a malfunction and the President decided to complete the journey from a private taxi without informing the local authorities. This incident has raised serious questions on the quality of fuel in Iran and the process of monitoring the petrol pumps.

Fuel adulteration problem in Iran
Fuel adulteration in Iran is not new. Complaints of adulteration of petrol or disturbances in pump meters have been coming up for years. Former oil minister Bijan Junganeh had also told in 2021 that action is taken against more than 400 petrol pump operators every year. The problem does not stop here only. A secret report published by Iran International in June 2024 stated that the imbalance between fuel production and demand in the country is increasing. To meet this deficiency, Iran is dependent on petrochemical-technical gasoline, which uses chemicals such as methyl turtle-butter ether. MTbe is banned in many countries as it is considered dangerous for environment and health. Despite this, it continues in Iran’s major refineries.

Government’s opinion on fuel quality
Although the National Iranian Oil Product Distribution Company (NIOPDC) has confirmed that complaints have been lodged earlier on the petrol station from which the fuel was filled, but no strict action was taken on it. Local people also often complain of such adulteration. In the video shared on social media and different platforms, the quality of petrol and evidence of rigging in the pump meter are seen.

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