Gas Swap Deals Help Improve Cooperation With Neighbors

Exporting gas through pipelines can help strengthen ties between countries, as the resulting interdependence helps establish better relations with neighboring states, said the deputy director for gas marketing and operations at the International Affairs Department of the National Iranian Oil Company.
“While Iran’s energy sector has been hit by US sanctions in recent years, our gas was almost excluded because buyers of Iranian gas asked for waivers so that they could buy natural gas from us. As a result, Iran continues to export gas to Turkey and Iraq as they are excluded from the sanctions,” Mehran Amirmoini was quoted as saying by the Oil Ministry’s news agency Shana.
In December 2021, Iran signed a gas swap agreement with Turkmenistan and Azerbaijan, which took effect last month. Based on the deal, Iran delivers 1.5 to 2 billion cubic meters of Turkmen gas to Azerbaijan annually.