Iran could become hub for transit of Russian oil and gas

Iran could become a hub for the supply of Russian oil and gas products to other countries, Alireza Varnaseri, a member of the Majlis (parliament) commission on energy, said this on Monday in an interview with the Iranian Shana news agency.

"As one of the largest exporters of oil and gas in the world, this country [Russia] is a strategic partner of Iran in various energy sectors. Cooperation between Iran and Russia helps in the development of Iranian oil and gas fields <...> Iran can be a hub for transit Russian oil and gas products to other countries," he said.

On October 13, Iranian Deputy Petroleum Minister Ahmad Asadzadeh said on the sidelines of the Russian Energy Week forum that Gazprom has a promising opportunity to transport its gas through Iran to neighboring countries, including Pakistan. Asadzadeh also noted that the territory of Iran can be used for gas transit to the countries of the Persian Gulf.

Russia and Iran have signed deals in the oil and gas industry worth more than $40 billion.