Iran's Khamenei backs fuel price hike; blames 'sabotage' for unrest

we need to bomb the country and takes its oil."

Iran and Russia are partners (see Syria, see Gas Exporting Countries Forum). Putin wants Iran in the Russian Federation's Eurasian Economic Union. Putin needs that to have even greater control over the globe's oil and gas. Putin will never let his boy Trump attack Russia's partner.

Petrol in Iran is cheaper than water, thanks partly to high subsidies. The country is home to the world’s fourth-largest crude oil reserves.

The price increase of 50% to 15,000 rials (13 cents) per litre, or about 50 cents per gallon is nothing to the West. But the anger and frustration among Iran’s population of 80 million, who have seen their savings evaporate, job scarcity and the collapse of their currency, are understandably widespread.

The rise is intended to raise about $2.5bn a year for additional subsidies for 18 million families, or about 60 million Iranians on lower incomes, according to the government.

Nevertheless, the proposal had been recommended by the International Monetary Fund as a way of ending inefficient petrol subsidies and rebalancing government spending.

Fuel subsidies cost 1.6% of GDP in 2017-18. As always, austerity measures are unpopular and trigger protests. But Iranians hold the US responsible for their grievances.