The Gap Between Potential and Performance Does Not Stem from Sanctions Alone Iran sits atop one of the world’s largest proven natural gas reserves, estimated at roughly 1,200 trillion cubic feet, second only to Russia. On paper, this should make Iran a major energy exporter and a consequential player in regional gas …
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Iran’s Sanctions-Evasion Infrastructure Has Become Systematic Rather than Improvised In early February 2025, President Donald Trump issued National Security Presidential Memorandum 2 (NSPM-2), formally reinstating his “maximum pressure” campaign against Iran. The directive sought to deny Tehran any path to nuclear weapons, constrain its ballistic missile program, and dismantle support for regional proxies by …
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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 …
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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 …
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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 …
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Introduction China’s evolving position on the Iran-Israel conflict reflects a pragmatic adjustment to align with its broader geopolitical and economic goals, particularly in light of Iran’s June 2025 parliamentary move to potentially close the Strait of Hormuz. Initially, Beijing backed Iran’s sovereignty, endorsing Tehran’s “self-defense” claims against Israeli strikes.[1] By …
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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 …
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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 …
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Significant progress has been made in establishing Türkiye as a major regional gateway for the transit of natural gas, especially in enabling the shipping of gas from Turkmenistan and Azerbaijan to Europe. Its strategic positioning in the global energy market is strengthened by its participation in significant infrastructure projects like …
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he Central Asian country is positioning itself as a low-carbon leader, but antiquated infrastructure and a dependence on Russia are holding it back Kazakhstan is producing record amounts of oil for export, with output reportedly reaching 2.12m b/d at the beginning of March, exceeding the country’s OPEC+ quota of 1.47m …
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