Iran and Russia Moving Closer Together Amidst Geostrategic Shifts

Iranian president Masoud Pezeshkian gave remarks during a recent visit to Teheran by Russia’s Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin, hailing an agreement that would see Iran supply Russia's Gazprom with long-term supplies of natural gas. “We believe that if the important joint projects of Iran and Russia are implemented, they will create significant capacities for both countries in offsetting cruel sanctions,” he said.

A preliminary deal was signed in June between Gazprom and Iran’s National Iranian Gas Company and a few weeks later it was reported that supplies would total 300 million cubic meters a day, or 109 billion cubic meters per year. The pipeline to carry Iranian natural gas to Russia would be built by Gazprom and there are already talks underway for Turkey to receive some of the volumes of gas that Russia re-exports after meeting domestic needs.

One Iranian official called the deal “a masterpiece of energy diplomacy that could create the preconditions for an economic revolution and ensure energy security for the region with the help of Iran.”