Iran to begin receiving Russian gas via Azerbaijan
Iran is expecting to begin receiving Russian gas transferred through Azerbaijan, Iranian Ambassador to Russia Kazem Jalali told the Russian state-run media outlet TASS.
Jalali expressed hope this will happen “in the near term,” saying, “We are currently negotiating with Gazprom, and almost all issues have been resolved.”
According to the envoy, the two countries must first reach an agreement on price and “once that’s finalized, the entire operation can proceed."
The forthcoming deliveries stem from a deal inked in April 2025 between Iran and Russia, which in turn followed a memorandum of understanding signed between the Russian state-run energy giant Gazprom and its Iranian counterpart, The National Iranian Gas Company (NIGC).
The route was then discussed by Russian Energy Minister Sergei Tsivilev earlier this year, who said that up to 1.8 billion cubic meters per year would begin flowing to Iran via existing infrastructure in Azerbaijan.
"We planned to resume the transit over the old legacy pipeline. And also to build a new gas pipeline as a branch," the ambassador had said in April. The Iranian side has already prepared all the required infrastructure for Russian gas transit, Jalali noted at the time.
Saeid Tovakoli, CEO of the National Iranian Gas Company, announced last week that negotiations with Russia had advanced by 95 to 99 percent. He noted, however, that the nature of such talks carries inherent uncertainty, influenced by regional, political, and energy-related dynamics.
“Unlike oil, where pricing frameworks are well-established, natural gas negotiations are far more complex,” Tovakoli explained. “Fortunately, our discussions have been constructive. The latest round of talks was held last week, and we are hopeful about reaching a final agreement.”
The deputy oil minister added that the implementation process may proceed in phases. “In the first stage, infrastructure assessments must be completed. Other outstanding issues still require deeper negotiations, but these talks remain a top priority for NIGC.”
He said the imported gas is intended to be allocated to productive sectors.