Iran and Russia Hold ‘Constructive’ Talks on Gas Cooperation

**MOSCOW —** Iran’s ambassador to Russia held talks with the chief executive of Russian energy company Gazprom on the implementation of a strategic memorandum covering cooperation between the two countries’ gas industries, according to Iran’s official IRNA news agency.

Kazem Jalali met Gazprom CEO Alexey Miller at the company’s headquarters in St. Petersburg during a visit aimed at attending international industry and energy events. Saeed Tavakoli, managing director of the National Iranian Gas Company, also attended the meeting.

IRNA described the talks as taking place after multiple technical and specialized negotiations between representatives of Iran’s and Russia’s gas industries. The agency reported that the meeting produced positive results, although it did not provide details of specific decisions, timelines or commercial terms.

### Agreement on gas transfer

The discussions center on a bilateral memorandum signed on June 26, 2024, between the National Iranian Gas Company and Gazprom on cooperation in transferring Russian natural gas to Iran. The memorandum was signed in the presence of Iran’s then-acting president, a special representative of the president of the Russian Federation and Gazprom’s chief executive, according to IRNA.

The agreement has since been followed by discussions over how the proposed gas transfer could be implemented. Iran’s Oil Minister Mohsen Paknejad said in Moscow on April 25, 2025, at the conclusion of a meeting of the Iran-Russia Joint Economic Cooperation Commission, that Tehran and Moscow had agreed on the transfer of a specified volume of Russian gas to Iran.

Paknejad said several routes had been examined before the two sides agreed that the transfer would take place overland through Azerbaijan. Under that arrangement, he said, Iran would receive the Russian gas at Astara, a city on Iran’s northwestern border.

The report did not specify the volume of gas covered by the understanding, the infrastructure required for the transfer, or the schedule for beginning deliveries.

### Continued high-level engagement

The project has remained the subject of high-level engagement between the two countries. In September 2025, Russia’s energy minister and the head of Gazprom visited Tehran, where they met with Iran’s president and oil minister. The Russian delegation also held talks with the managing director of the National Iranian Gas Company.

The latest meeting in St. Petersburg forms part of that continuing process, with Iranian and Russian officials reviewing the progress of the strategic memorandum after technical consultations involving the two countries’ gas-sector representatives.

Jalali previously described the proposed transfer project to IRNA as a “win-win” initiative that could bring mutual benefits to Iran and Russia. He also said the project could have a significant effect on Iran’s development as a regional energy hub.

Those potential benefits remain a stated assessment by the Iranian ambassador rather than a confirmed outcome. The available report does not establish whether the planned transfer has entered the construction, contracting or delivery phase, nor does it give an anticipated completion date.

For now, the talks indicate that Tehran and Moscow continue to pursue the gas cooperation framework announced in 2024. The proposed route through Azerbaijan and receipt of Russian gas at Astara are the main implementation details publicly identified in the account, while further technical, commercial and logistical questions remain to be clarified.