Iran’s acting oil minister calls Bessent’s fuel-shortage warning “psychological warfare” and urges him to address energy costs in the US

Iran’s acting oil minister, Hamid Bovard, rebuked US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent over remarks predicting severe gasoline shortages in Iran and urging Iranians to stockpile fuel. Bovard dismissed the warning as a “psychological warfare campaign” and said Bessent should focus instead on rising energy costs for Americans.

Bovard contrasted Iran’s strategic gas diplomacy in Moscow and its new regional energy alliances with what he described as the United States’ scramble to secure diesel. He said Bessent should direct his warnings about fuel stockpiling to the American public, which he said had borne the heavy costs of Washington’s aggressive policies for months.

The rebuke comes amid continued US economic pressure on Tehran. The post said that despite decades of unilateral sanctions and hostile rhetoric, Iran has continued to expand oil exports, increase domestic production and build energy partnerships, rendering US efforts to cripple its fuel and energy sectors ineffective.