While European states – with a few exceptions – strive to end their energy dependence on Russia, Russia is looking for new buyers for its natural gas and oil products. Iran is now playing an increasingly important role alongside China. The Russian government has started delivering fuel to Iran by rail. This is evidenced by statements from industry representatives and export data.
Last fall, Russian Deputy Prime Minister Alexander Novak announced the start of barter shipments of oil products with Iran. According to information from the Reuters news agency, deliveries only started this year. In February and March, Russia delivered up to 30,000 tons of gasoline and diesel to Iran. The fuel was transported by rail from Russia via Kazakhstan and Turkmenistan.
Sanctions should be avoided
Iran itself is an oil producer and has its own refineries. But lately, consumption has been outpacing domestic fuel production, especially in the country’s northern provinces, a trader in the Central Asian oil products market said. With the delivery, Russia also wants to circumvent the price cap for oil products introduced by the Western G7 countries.
“We expect fuel shipments to Iran to increase this year,” said one of the insiders familiar with Iran’s deliveries. Iran, in turn, must provide Russia with military equipment such as drones for, among other things, the war against Ukraine. However, this is denied by both parties.
Russia supports Iran’s nuclear program
Just under two weeks ago, Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amirabdollahian declared that the two countries were on the verge of concluding “a long-term strategic deal”. He gave no details. In the past year and a half, bilateral trade has grown more than 3.5 times, he praised instead. In turn, Russian counterpart Sergey Lavrov emphasized Moscow’s support for Tehran on the issue of Iran’s nuclear program.
Source: Krone
I am Wallace Jones, an experienced journalist. I specialize in writing for the world section of Today Times Live. With over a decade of experience, I have developed an eye for detail when it comes to reporting on local and global stories. My passion lies in uncovering the truth through my investigative skills and creating thought-provoking content that resonates with readers worldwide.
