Iran's oil minister responds to US treasury chief's fuel shortage warning

Iran's Oil Minister Hamid Bovard has publicly responded to US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent's recent remarks about fuel shortages in Iran. In a post on his X account, Bovard dismissed what he described as a psychological warfare campaign by Bessent, who had claimed that Iran would face severe gasoline shortages this winter and advised Iranians to stockpile fuel. Bovard wrote, "Instead of advising Iranians to stock up on fuel, the US Treasury Secretary should worry about its price for his own people."

Highlighting the contrasting energy situations, Bovard noted that Iran is actively advancing its strategic "gas diplomacy in Moscow" and securing new regional energy alliances, while the United States is scrambling to secure diesel. He added that Bessent's audience for fuel stockpiling should be the American people, who have been paying the price for what he called Trump's adventurism for months, pointing to a cost-of-living crisis and surging fuel prices in the US driven by Washington's foreign policies.

The exchange comes amid ongoing US economic pressure on Iran. Despite decades of unilateral sanctions, Iran continues to expand its oil exports, boost domestic production, and forge energy partnerships, which Tehran says renders American attempts to cripple its fuel and energy sectors ineffective. Bovard's remarks underscore the ongoing tension between the two countries over energy policies and sanctions.

According to Mehr News, the minister's retort is part of a broader pushback against US measures targeting Iran's oil industry.