analysis of the socio economic causes of the gasoline price crisis in Iran and the urban strikes in the fall and winter of 1964

Document Type : Research Article

Author

Assistant Professor, Department of History, Faculty of Social Sciences, University of Mohaghegh Ardabili , Ardabil, Iran.

Abstract
This research examines the socio-economic crisis resulting from the sudden policy of increasing oil product prices implemented by Hassan Ali Mansur's government in Azar 1343 (November-December 1964). The central issue was the government's hasty decision to double the price of gasoline to 10 rials per liter, and increase kerosene to 3.5 rials and fuel oil to 1.2 rials (except in Khuzestan), implemented without prior public notification or consultation. This decision triggered drivers' strikes, commodity price inflation, and urban unrest. The primary research question asks why this policy failed and what consequences it entailed. Employing a descriptive-analytical method, the study focuses on a precise examination of the policy's adoption, implementation, and revocation process (from 3 Azar to the retreat on 22 Dey by the Shah's order). Findings indicate that the policy's failure stemmed not only from flawed economic calculations but also from neglecting psycho-social dimensions, disregarding public livelihoods, and the absence of consultative mechanisms within the authoritarian system. This crisis weakened Mansur's governmental position, deepened the gap between the state and society, and served as a contributing backdrop to Mansur's assassination in Bahman 1343 (January-February 1965).

Keywords

Subjects

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Volume 15, Issue 2 - Serial Number 30
Autumn and Winter 2025-2026
March 2026
Pages 37-61

  • Receive Date 23 December 2025
  • Revise Date 03 May 2026
  • Accept Date 06 May 2026