Javad Owji, Iran's Minister of Petroleum, has publicly acknowledged that the country is grappling with a critical shortage of high-grade gasoline.

An investigation conducted by Iran International in August had revealed that the distribution of the premium gasoline in Iran plummeted by a staggering 90% in comparison to the same period last year.

High-grade gasoline, often referred to as Supercarburant in French, is a specialized type of fuel to which additives are introduced in order to enhance its octane rating, thereby improving its overall quality.

Owji, addressing the issue during a cabinet meeting on Wednesday morning, highlighted that high grade fuel like Euro 5 is being distributed during temperature inversions to mitigate air pollution.

In a conversation with Iran International, an anonymous source indicated that the inadequacy and delays in the annual maintenance of refineries are significant factors contributing to the decline in high-grade gasoline production.

Contrary to the claims made by the Minister of Petroleum, the distribution of Euro 4 and 5 standard gasoline has proven to have a limited impact on reducing air pollution, primarily due to its relatively small share in the daily gasoline consumption basket.

According to data obtained by Iran International, approximately 80% of the gasoline distributed does not meet the Euro 4 and 5 standards.

The findings indicate that gasoline production has dwindled to 100 million liters. However, the Ministry of Petroleum attempts to offset the deficit by increasing daily production to 115 million liters through the addition of non-standard and polluting substances.

Iran remains heavily dependent on revenues generated from crude oil exports, but due to international sanctions and systemic mismanagement, the country has struggled to modernize its energy sector.