He added: "In the 2000s, natural gas fuel prevented U.S. sanctions from harming Iran’s energy security and remains one of the **fastest and most effective** solutions to eliminate reliance on gasoline imports."

Johari stated that "the country’s vast **gas reserves** and extensive **pipeline network** provide a unique opportunity for expanding the natural gas fuel industry."He continued: "With **2,500 fueling stations**, Iran currently has the capacity to supply **50 million cubic meters of CNG per day**, equivalent to **50 million liters of gasoline**. However, more than **half of this capacity remains unused**."

He further noted: "The **national energy strategy** was designed to diversify the **fuel mix**, leveraging **Iran’s vast gas reserves**, which was a **strategic move**. However, the natural gas fuel industry has experienced **unbalanced growth** over the past two decades."

The Chairman of the Natural Gas Fuel Industry Association explained: "In the **first decade of natural gas fuel expansion**, there were too few stations compared to the number of vehicles. In the **past decade**, the **opposite** occurred—too few gas-powered vehicles for the available fueling stations. We need to **increase** the number of CNG-powered vehicles to fully utilize this **massive infrastructure**, but **misguided government policies** have hindered this potential."

He emphasized: "Some energy policymakers **oppose** expanding CNG fuel under the **pretext of gas shortages**. However, CNG **only consumes less than 3% of the country's total gas production**, meaning it has **no impact** on national gas supply imbalances."

He continued: "One of the key issues is the **lack of a competent governmental body** dedicated to overseeing **natural gas fuel policy**. This lack of oversight has resulted in **missed opportunities** for expanding this **clean and cost-effective energy source**."

He concluded: "Iran's **gasoline and diesel consumption rates** are several times the **global average**. The **only way** to control this overconsumption is to **convert more vehicles to dual-fuel (CNG)** systems."