Energy Strategy & Foreign Policy

As the Islamic Republic continues to fall behind in the rapidly evolving global energy industry, will it ever be able to take advantage of what remains of its enormous oil and gas wealth?​ Since Iran’s Islamic Revolution of 1979, the country’s oil and gas sector has continuously suffered from sanctions, …

Control over energy resources and transit routes has long been a source of rivalry and competition among major powers with interests in the Middle East, Caspian Sea basin and Central Asia. And since the early 2000s, a new “great game” of sorts has embroiled local and outside players in competition …

The upcoming U.S. presidential election presents a major political challenge for Iran’s economy, especially its energy sector and foreign exchange market. As the geopolitics of energy change, all developments directly impact the foreign policies of energy-producing and consuming countries. In the field of international relations, energy resources are sources of power, which if used …

In mid-August, Turkey officially announced the discovery of a massive, 320-billion-cubic-meter (bcm) natural gas field in the Black Sea, in an exploration zone called “Tuna-1” (TRT World, August 21). The news was met with some skepticism from energy experts, notably in the Middle East (Arab News, August 24). Yet, if …

In August 2020 the UAE became the third Arab country to normalize relations with Israel after Egypt (1979) and Jordan (1994), and the first country in the Gulf region; however, secret relationships have been going on for years. The UAE-Israel historical deal was widely welcomed by some of the region’s leaders, as well …

Iran and China first announced a long-term 25-year strategic partnership in 2016, with a draft document of the accord reportedly approved last week. Cooperation between the two countries will include China’s financial and technological participation in major projects such as highways, railways, oil and gas fields, the tourism industry, information technology and …

The continuation of sanctions and the reduction of Iran’s oil share in the world market have caused many problems for all sectors of Iran’s energy industry and economy, and it will see an increase in problems in most areas due to the Trump administration’s “maximum pressure” policy. Currently, the Iranian …

Reducing dependence on Iranian gas will increase Turkey’s bargaining power in gas transactions. In practice, Iranian gas will not play a significant role in Turkey’s policies, which means that it can be easily removed from them and sanctioned. The diversification of energy resources is a fundamental principle of Turkey’s energy …

Even before the coronavirus pandemic erupted, Iran’s oil exports were declining as a result of secondary US sanctions. Global oversupply amid a drastic drop in consumer demand, caused by the virus and its economic effects, will likely continue to depress Iranian exports for months to come. Prior to the US …

The US withdrawal from the Iran nuclear deal and sanctions on oil exports in 2018 have made the situation for Iran’s oil industry even more precarious. But US efforts to reduce Iran’s oil exports to zero have caused Tehran to sell oil in the grey market, or by using a third country. Despite the …