Iran blocks fuel trucks’ passage to Afghanistan - The Boston Globe: "Iran’s decision to stop up to 2,500 fuel trucks at its border with Afghanistan is tantamount to an embargo, an Afghan commerce official said yesterday, as others warned the move could leave millions of Afghans shivering as winter rolls on.
The unofficial ban, in its second week, has pushed up wholesale domestic fuel prices as much as 70 percent. The shortage of fuel also threatens to prevent trucks loaded with commercial goods from reaching the capital along a key southern transport route.
Iran yesterday acknowledged a link between the ban and its recent decision to slash domestic fuel subsidies in a bid to cut costs and boost an economy squeezed by international sanctions.
Afghan officials say Iran has also told them it is concerned the shipments are destined for NATO forces operating in Afghanistan, though Afghan and NATO officials deny that."
