Extensive rioting broke out in major Iranian cities following the government's decision to ration gasoline, limiting use to 100 liters per citizen per month. Though the Supreme National Security Council banned the media from reporting on the violence, there are unconfirmed reports of several citizens killed in the course of the riots. Official sources report 80 citizens arrested, dozens of gas stations torched in Tehran and damage done to private property and public facilities. Iranian Deputy Interior Minister Mojtaba Hashemi-Samareh said that the government had no intention of changing its decision to ration gasoline in the next few months.
Sources: Rooz, Iran, June 28, 2007; Baztab, Iran, June 28, 2007; Mehr, Iran, June 29, 2007.
