Adulterated Fuel Halts Iran’s President’s Trip… and a Taxi Saves the Day

18th July 2025

1 minute read

Adulterated Fuel Halts Iran's President's Trip… and a Taxi Saves the Day

While traveling to Tabriz in an unofficial convoy of three vehicles, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian faced an unexpected incident. All three cars stalled simultaneously due to what was later identified as fuel adulterated with water. The solution? A simple taxi.

According to Iranian media reports, this incident was detailed by Mostafa Mowlavi, the president’s special inspector, during a meeting with political activists in Qazvin.

Mowlavi explained that before reaching Tabriz, the president and his security team had stopped at a roadside station near the Rasht highway exit to refuel.

Shortly after leaving the station and before arriving in the city of Takestan, all three vehicles came to a sudden stop. Upon investigation, it was discovered that the station was selling low-quality gasoline mixed with water.

When contacted, the national petroleum distribution company confirmed that the station had a record of violations and had already been the subject of several complaints.

What caught the public’s attention was how the president responded to the incident. According to Mowlavi, President Pezeshkian simply took a taxi to continue his journey to Tabriz.

This act drew widespread praise on social media. Many users commended the president for not demanding an official intervention and instead choosing to ride in a taxi like any ordinary citizen, seeing it as a sign of humility.

Iranian media added that this trip to Tabriz follows previous ground travels, as opposed to earlier air journeys.

It’s worth noting that in May 2024, former Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi and members of his team died in a helicopter crash during a similar domestic trip.