Reza Sepahvand said that the country is in wartime conditions and that managing fuel consumption is an unavoidable necessity. He said the burden should not fall on the government alone, and that people's own consumption should also match the circumstances.

"Cutting unnecessary trips and avoiding waste are required to get through this special situation," he said.

Quotas to move to bank cards

Sepahvand said the committee held several meetings on fuel consumption that led to a special working group. It includes representatives of the Oil Ministry, the Energy Optimization and Strategic Management Organization, the headquarters for combating smuggling of goods and currency, and the Economy Ministry's economic deputy.

He said the sessions resulted in the application of Article 56 of the Law on Reforming Energy Consumption Patterns, which led to a plan to transfer gasoline quotas from fuel cards to bank cards.

The first phase began with the so-called free fuel cards held by gas stations, he said. Under that model, car owners pay at the pump with their own bank cards. A fee of 1,000 tomans is charged per transaction to cover system costs and management of the payment switch, which is run by the Economy Ministry. Sepahvand said the fee ensures full transparency and prevents misuse of station operators' free cards.

The plan is to be implemented in five provinces, including Tehran, by the end of the Iranian month of Mehr, which falls on Oct. 22, he said. Quotas are to be moved to bank cards nationwide by the end of the current Iranian year, which ends in March.