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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 …

When Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian and Russian President Vladimir Putin signed the Treaty on Comprehensive Strategic Partnership in Moscow on 17 January 2025, it marked a significant turning point in the expanding partnership between Iran and Russia. Broad collaboration in vital areas like defense, counterterrorism, energy, finance, technology, cybersecurity, peaceful …

The Government Is Reducing Fuel Quotas and Is Considering Digital Fuel Cards, Tiered Pricing, and Energy Coupons Iran consumes more energy per person than many developed nations, though poor energy efficiency leads to extensive waste. The core reasons for this are energy subsidies and pricing schemes that buck market realities. While Iranian …

Despite vast oil and gas reserves, Iran faces a severe energy crisis due to decades of mismanagement, excessive subsidies, corruption, and international sanctions, which have crippled its infrastructure and distorted energy markets. Without structural reforms and international engagement, the country risks deeper economic instability, environmental degradation, and political unrest. Iran has …

Turkey’s Growing Reliance on U.S. Liquefied Natural Gas Represents a Purposeful and Strategic Policy to Improve Energy Security As Turkey’s second-largest supplier of liquefied natural gas this past winter, the United States has become a significant player in the country’s gas industry. By topping five billion cubic meters and surpassing more established …

The Rapid Growth of Ties Between the Two Countries Shows How Ossified Divisions That Once Marked the Regions Are Breaking Down Azerbaijan and Iraq are less than 400 miles distant but through much of recent history, they might have been on the other side of the world. With Azerbaijan incorporated …