Explaining the Change in Gasoline Pricing in Iran Based on the Narrative Policy Framework

Document Type : Research Article

Authors

1 Assistant Professor of Public Administration, Faculty of Islamic Education and Management, Imam Sadiq University, Tehran, Iran

2 Ph.D. Student of Public Policy, Faculty of Islamic Education and Management, Imam Sadiq University, Tehran, Iran

10.22059/jppolicy.2026.106366

Abstract

Gasoline pricing in Iran has long been a site of conflicting policy narratives, rendering its transformation irreducible to merely technical or economic explanations. This study, grounded in the Narrative Policy Framework, investigates the question: “Which policy narratives shaped policymakers’ mindsets during the adoption of two contradictory laws in 2004 & 2005, and how did these narratives steer policy change?” Employing a qualitative approach and inductive thematic analysis, the research analyzes parliamentary debates from the Sixth and Seventh Islamic Consultative Assemblies. The findings reveal that in the Sixth Parliament, the dominant narrative framed gasoline as an intergenerational asset with market-based pricing, whereas in the Seventh Parliament, a new narrative emerged emphasizing administrative price control to protect public welfare. This narrative shift not only redefined the logic of pricing but also reshaped the meaning of justice and the role of the state in energy policy. The study demonstrates that narrative analysis provides a powerful lens for explaining why and how policy change occurs within Iran’s policy subsystem.

Keywords

References

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Iranian Journal of Public Policy
Volume 12, Issue 1
March 2026
Pages 9-29

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