Turkey's Gas Supplies From Iran Under Threat Due to New US Sanctions

Turkey's natural gas supplies from Iran are at risk due to new US sanctions targeting Tehran. The long-term contract between Turkey and Iran, signed in the 1990s, has expired without a renewal, amid ongoing regional conflict.

The Tabriz-Ankara pipeline, which transports up to 9.6 billion cubic meters of gas per year, has continued to operate on an interim basis since July 2026. However, payment channels are under pressure from restored UN sanctions, monitoring of Turkish banks, and limited US sanctions relief measures.

Turkey's imports from Iran have been lower than the contractual ceiling due to domestic prioritization in Iran, technical issues, pipeline attacks, and previous sanctions friction. In 2025, Turkey imported around 7.7 billion cubic meters of gas from Iran, making it the country's fourth-largest supplier.

The US Treasury's new campaign against Iranian trade could lead to a squeeze on Turkey's gas supplies, particularly if secondary sanctions aggressively target remaining commercial channels. Turkey has diversified its energy sources and can offset Iranian volumes through LNG imports, but at higher costs and with greater exposure to global spot prices.