ARTICLES

Syria Holds an Estimated 2.5 Billion Barrels of Oil and 8.5 Trillion Cubic Feet of Gas but Reserves Do Not Guarantee Recovery Syria’s oil and gas sector once anchored state revenues and energy security. Before 2011, the country produced roughly 380,000 barrels per day of oil and about 25 million …

The project fits a long-standing pattern in Iran of improvisation rather than reform On December 6, Iran’s President Masoud Pezeshkian unveiled the country’s latest attempt to mitigate chronic water shortages: an 800-kilometer pipeline carrying desalinated water from the Gulf of Oman to drought-stricken Isfahan. The two-year, 350 trillion rial (about $300 million) …

Across the Region, Electricity Demand Surged with Extreme Heat, Population Growth, Desalination Needs, and Industrial Expansion In 2025, the Middle East’s energy sector held firm amid cooling global markets, geopolitical friction, and an uneven global energy transition. The region continued to underpin global supply, producing roughly 30 percent of global oil and …

With Energy Diplomacy, Ankara Strengthens a Partnership That Stretches Across Military, Cultural, and Now Economic Dimensions On December 2, 2025, Turkey signed hydrocarbon exploration agreements through its state-owned Turkish Petroleum Corporation (TPAO) with six Pakistani energy firms. The announcement came with almost no political theater, but the implications run deeper …

The Project That Once Balanced Russian Expertise with Iraqi Sovereignty Now Exposes the Fragility of This Set-up Western sanctions have reshaped Iraq’s oil sector. In October 2025, the United States and United Kingdom targeted Lukoil and Rosneft’s overseas operations to curtail Moscow’s war financing. Lukoil promptly declared force majeure at West Qurna-2, which …

The Caspian coast of Iran is at a turning point, where environmental deterioration, economic losses, and geopolitical tensions collide Climate change, increased evaporation, and decreased inflows from feeder rivers like the Volga are contributing to a dramatic and rapid drop in water levels in the Caspian Sea, the world’s largest inland …

Independent Certification of Reserves and Scaled-up Processing Would Elevate Turkey’s Role in Global Supply Chains of Critical Minerals Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan frames the supposed discovery of 694 million tons of rare earth element reserves in Beylikova, Eskişehir, as a strategic opportunity to place Turkey among the top global producers of rare earth …

Continued Blacklisting and Enhanced Sanctions Would Hinder Iran’s Trade Contacts, Foreign Investment, and Access to Financial Institutions The Financial Action Task Force (FATF), the international body charged with combatting money laundering and terror finance, placed Iran on its blacklist in 2007 because of its failure to address weaknesses in its …

A major change in the energy landscape of the South Caucasus has occurred with the opening of the Iğdır-Nakhichevan gas pipeline, which has strengthened strategic energy alliances and reshaped regional dependencies. This accomplishment is especially significant as Türkiye navigates a critical energy security phase, since important natural gas contracts with …

The latest round of US sanctions imposed on Iran mark a shift in Washington’s strategy, moving beyond conventional financial limits to target the intertwined financial and digital networks that sustain Tehran’s economy and political control. US officials say software, fintech, and digital payment systems are now as important as oil …