Iran wants Caspian 'release valve' opened
Sanctions-hit Iran and its neighbours are seeking to resolve boundary uncertainties to unlock further oil and gas reserves in the Caspian Sea
Representatives from the five Caspian states are due to meet in Kazakhstan in August to sign a convention on the legal status of the sea. It's a chance for Iran, Russia, Azerbaijan, Turkmenistan and Kazakhstan to agree the demarcation of oil blocks in a region that's becoming increasingly attractive for the sector as a counterweight to the politically risky Middle East. US president Donald Trump's 8 May decision to re-impose nuclear sanctions on Iran and withdraw from the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) has focused minds at oil companies on the risks of doing business with Tehran. These could potentially cover Azerbaijan's Shah Deniz development, given Iran's national oil company
Also in this section
16 January 2026
The country’s global energy importance and domestic political fate are interlocked, highlighting its outsized oil and gas powers, and the heightened fallout risk
16 January 2026
The global maritime oil transport sector enters 2026 facing a rare convergence of crude oversupply, record newbuild deliveries and the potential easing of several geopolitical disruptions that have shaped trade flows since 2022
15 January 2026
Rebuilding industry, energy dominance and lower energy costs are key goals that remain at odds in 2026
14 January 2026
Chavez’s socialist reforms boosted state control but pushed knowledge and capital out of the sector, opening the way for the US shale revolution
