Energy Strategy & Foreign Policy

After a year of unprecedented turmoil, global energy prices could return to a ‘new normal’ in 2023—or they could be further disrupted by ongoing or new political and economic crises. The full-scale Russian invasion of Ukraine in February 2022 led to major reverberations in energy markets around the world. In an attempt …

With its massive oil and natural gas reserves, Turkmenistan’s economy is heavily dependent on foreign exchange earnings from the export and sale of these resources. Given this, the country’s economic stability is tied to Ashgabat’s foreign policy and cooperation with its neighbors, including those territories located in the path of …

Driven by its desire for economic gain and the threat posed by Iran, Saudi Arabia has relied heavily on China to develop its domestic drone program—much to Washington’s chagrin. In recent years, many Middle Eastern states have devoted growing sums to research in cutting-edge defense technology—particularly drone warfare, a crucial …

While representing a major symbolic step, finalizing Iranian membership in the Shanghai Pact is not a panacea for the country’s current political, economic, and security challenges. Before the outbreak of recent mass protests, Iranian leaders were working to ameliorate their country’s international isolation through official membership in the Shanghai Cooperation …

The Iranian government has vowed to increase its gas output and international exports, but cannot produce enough to keep the lights on at home. The Iranian government is currently embroiled in the most serious threat to its rule since the end of the Iran-Iraq War in 1988. The protests surrounding …

In 1979, oil workers in Iran dealt a blow to the Pahlavi dynasty; now, instability in Iran’s energy sector could once again put tremendous pressure on the regime or lead to the fall of the Islamic Republic itself. Considering the central role of energy exports to Iran’s economy, the security …

There is a concern in Iran that Azerbaijan intends for the project to block Iran’s border with Armenia as the proposed route of the Zanzegur Corridor project runs along the full length of the border. The Second Nagorno-Karabakh War, fought from September to November 2020, ended with a significant victory for …

Considering the increase in demand in the market and the concern of the producing countries about the future of the oil market, and the desire of these countries to increase the production capacity, it is not possible to expect the market to return to normal conditions in the short run. …

Without the lifting of sanctions and a fundamental change in Iran’s foreign policy, it won’t be easy to resolve tensions in the region and increase the level of political and economic relations with neighbors. Regionalism and the development of Iran’s relations with Russia and China are among the presidency’s priorities in …

NESREEN BAKHEIT and RURIKA IMAHASHI, Nikkei staff writers June 9, 2022 15:05 JST DUBAI/TOKYO — China and India are continuing to increase imports of Russian oil in a dramatic reshaping of global trade in energy, according to the latest industry data. But the ability of Asia to absorb more production …