TEHRAN, July 18 (Alliance News): Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian was forced to finish a recent journey to Tabriz by taxi after all three of his official vehicles broke down due to contaminated fuel, a senior government official confirmed.
According to Mostafa Moulavi, the president’s special inspector, the incident occurred near Takestan in Qazvin province shortly after the presidential convoy refueled at a gas station near the Rasht highway exit.
“Our investigation revealed that the station was dispensing low-quality fuel mixed with water,” Moulavi said during a visit to Qazvin’s provincial administration offices.
“It wasn’t the first incident — the same gas station had a prior record of similar violations.”
Despite the breakdown, President Pezeshkian reportedly refused to seek assistance from provincial officials and instead hired a private taxi to continue his journey to Tabriz.
“He did not contact the provincial governor or request any protocol assistance,” Moulavi stated.
The National Iranian Oil Products Distribution Company (NIOPDC) has confirmed that the gas station had been previously reported for distributing substandard fuel. However, no explanation has been given for why it was still operational. The president’s office and the Ministry of Petroleum have yet to comment publicly.
Fuel contamination has become a persistent issue across Iran, with frequent reports of watered-down gasoline and tampered fuel dispensers.
Drivers regularly complain of discrepancies between the fuel paid for and the amount received.
Although numerous videos circulating on Iranian social media platforms document these malpractices, energy officials continue to deny any systemic problems within the national distribution network.
