Mohsen Paknejad, who had served as Iran’s oil minister since August 2024, has officially stepped down from his post. The announcement was made by the office of President Masoud Pezeshkian on Sunday. Following the resignation, the president appointed Hamid Bord, the current CEO of the National Iranian Oil Company (NIOC), to serve as the acting Minister of Oil.

The timing of the departure has drawn attention due to the current state of Iran’s energy sector. Reports indicate that citizens are facing long queues at petrol stations across the country. While the government has not explicitly linked the resignation to these logistical failures, the instability in the fuel supply is widely attributed to the cumulative pressure of long-standing United States sanctions and the ongoing regional conflict.

There is a notable discrepancy regarding the timing and motivation behind the departure. The president’s office announced the resignation on Sunday, but government spokesperson Mehdi Tabatabaei later stated on state television that Paknejad had actually submitted his resignation "a long time ago" and cited personal reasons for the move. This internal messaging suggests an attempt by the administration to decouple the minister's exit from the immediate public frustration regarding fuel shortages.