Turkey's Iran Gas Ties Collide with US Sanctions Push
Turkey's reliance on Iranian gas is set to clash with Washington's efforts to impose sanctions on countries still trading with Tehran. The US has threatened economic penalties against nations doing business with Iran, putting Turkey's approximately 7.7 bcm of Iranian gas imports at risk.
The UAE and Qatar have been using rare ship-to-ship (STS) transfers to move liquefied natural gas (LNG), with three cargoes loaded in the Gulf being transferred to other tankers off Oman and the UAE's east coast for delivery to India and Japan. This method is rarely used because LNG must remain chilled throughout the transfer, limiting the number of compatible tankers and equipment.
The US-Iran conflict has led to an increase in attacks on oil tankers moving out of the Gulf. Two vessels, the Senegal Prosperity and Sidr, were reportedly struck by projectiles while sailing through a sensitive corridor. The strikes follow the Kuwaiti tanker Burgan being hit by a missile, the second Kuwaiti vessel targeted within 48 hours.