Iran Views Turkmenistan as Untrustworthy Following Gas Disruption

TEHRAN (FNA) Iran may review energy ties with Turkmenistan after the neighboring country last month cut gas exports to the Islamic Republic, an Iranian official warned on Wednesday, saying Ashgabat could “not be trusted”.

Turkmenistan halted daily deliveries of up to 23 million cubic meters to Iran in late December, citing technical problems. Iranian officials say Turkmenistan wants to raise the price of its gas and have voiced increasing anger at the cut.

Iran, struggling with some of its coldest weather in decades, has subsequently halted its own natural gas exports to Turkey. “This immoral behavior by Turkmenistan has created problems for us and Turkey,” Ebadollah Ghanbari, head of the public relations unit of Iran’s national gas company, told Reuters.

“Surely Turkmenistan showed that it cannot be trusted and surely Iran, I feel, will review its trade activities with Turkmenistan, at least in its energy sector.