Protests against the rationing of fuel in Iran have resulted in one death and several injuries, a spokesman for the local government in the city of Sirjan said on Saturday.
Dozens of protesters attempted to set fire to petrol stations and oil depots on Friday, spokesman Mahmud Mahmudabadi said, according to the ISNA news agency.
Police officers and members of Iran’s Revolutionary Guard had to intervene, he added.
The exact circumstances of the death were unclear and under investigation, according to the spokesman, who claimed that security forces only fired their guns into the air as a warning.
Injuries were reported on both sides. Mahmudabadi did not specify whether there were any arrests, ISNA said.
Protests sprang up in other parts of Iran on Friday and Saturday, with reports that police had used tear gas in some locations to disperse demonstrators.
Footage shared on social media showed petrol stations in flames – although officials dismissed the videos as “fake news.”
As the Iranian economy falters under the strain of reimposed U.S. sanctions, the regime imposed overnight fuel-rationing measures and upped the cost of petrol
With a state-issued fuel card, Iranians can only purchase up to 60 litres of petrol per month at a price of around 13 dollar cents per litre.
Those who wish to buy more have to pay 27 cents per litre for standard or 33 cents for super – almost three times the previous rate.
