Attacks on Energy Infrastructure, Blockade Threaten Global Energy Security: Iran's President Says at GECF

Addressing the eighth summit of heads of state of the Gas Exporting Countries Forum (GECF), the President of the Islamic Republic of Iran said geopolitical developments have put global energy security under serious strain. He also called for deeper cooperation among member states and declared Iran's readiness to play a more active role in the Forum.

Speaking in Moscow, the president began by expressing his pleasure at being in the "beautiful and historic" city. He thanked the friendly government and people of the Russian Federation, and President Vladimir Putin in particular, for hosting the important gathering. He also thanked the GECF Secretary-General and the Secretariat for their continued efforts to advance the Forum's activities. He then paid tribute to the memory of the martyred Leader of the Islamic Revolution, Ayatollah Khamenei, whose initiatives and support, he said, played a significant role in strengthening the Forum.

Security threats and unilateral measures

The president noted that the summit is being held as geopolitical developments pose serious challenges to global energy security. In this context, he described the military aggression of the United States and the Zionist regime against Iran, carried out on two occasions and in the middle of political negotiations, as one of the regrettable and dangerous events against global security. By destroying Iran's energy facilities and disrupting energy transfer, he said, the attacks endangered energy security and the world economy.

He also stressed that unilateral sanctions and "economic terrorism," in the form of a naval and aerial blockade imposed on Iran by the United States, together with pressure on other countries to comply with that blockade, are further unlawful measures that seriously jeopardize the stability of energy markets. These actions, he said, should be condemned by the world's major energy suppliers and effectively countered.

The president added that U.S. military interventions in the Persian Gulf region do not affect regional actors alone. By creating serious shocks, he argued, they disrupt the pricing, supply and transfer of energy and endanger global economic growth.

The Forum's role and priorities

Turning to the GECF, the president said that over more than two decades of activity it has become a symbol of multilateral gas diplomacy and a platform for dialogue, exchange of experience and stronger cooperation among its members. It can, he said, play an effective role in resolving the world's energy problems and bottlenecks.

He said it is particularly important to address the provisions of the Forum's statute and the declarations of its summits. He highlighted four priorities: developing technologies and methods for sustainable environmental management, developing regional and global gas markets, maximizing the role of natural gas resources in the value chain, and combating energy poverty.

The president said developments in the global energy market require member states to expand cooperation in two areas: "governance and strategic management" and "technical and engineering operations." In the strategic area, he said, the main focus should be on market stability and on how to increase the volume of natural gas trade regionally and globally.

In the technical and engineering area, he said, the key issue for members is developing joint investments across the gas value chain, from production to processing, transmission and consumption. At the same time, enhancing technological capacities to raise efficiency and reduce the environmental impact of gas production and consumption should be at the center of joint cooperation.

He said it is essential to turn existing capacities in member countries into operational projects serving shared interests. Effective implementation of the Forum's long-term strategy, in line with market developments and the long-term outlook for supply and demand, he added, can provide a clear path for aligning members' priorities and strengthening the Forum's role in the future of global energy.

Iran's gas capacities and offer to investors

The president said Iran, a founding member of the GECF and holder of the world's second-largest proven natural gas reserves, is ready to take a more active role in advancing multilateral diplomacy, exchanging knowledge and experience, and developing investment opportunities in gas infrastructure within the Forum's framework.

He said Iran's strategic position at the heart of the world's most important energy corridors gives it an inherent capacity to significantly improve global energy resilience. He added that the capacities of Iran's gas industry have created favorable grounds for private-sector cooperation among GECF members in the upstream and downstream gas sectors, as well as in gas trade. Foreign investors, he said, can use the incentives and facilities offered in the oil, gas and petrochemical industries without concern, and benefit from Iran's unique capacities within the framework of shared interests.

Despite years of unilateral sanctions, the president said, Iran has relied on domestic capabilities to raise its natural gas production capacity to 300 billion cubic meters and has maintained its position as the world's third-largest natural gas producer. In gas consumption, he said, Iran is one of the world's leading countries, with natural gas accounting for 70% of its energy basket, and 95% of its population is now covered by the national gas network.

Closing remarks

The president said Iran believes constructive cooperation can help secure supply and demand, ensure fair valuation of natural gas and raise its share in the global energy basket, while respecting environmental considerations. In this regard, he stressed the importance of the active participation of oil and energy ministers from member and observer countries, the Forum's Secretary-General and Secretariat staff, and of constructive cooperation among them.

In closing, he once again thanked the government and people of the Russian Federation for their warm hospitality and fitting hosting of the summit, and wished the Forum success in achieving its goals. - Shana