A Comparative Study of Natural Gas Export Policy and Energy Security in Russia, Qatar & Iran

The authors’ main objective is to examine the nature of the relationship between the Islamic Republic of Iran (IRI)'s gas export policy and its national security policies as well as its energy security policies. The research hypothesis postulates that success or failure of Iranian gas export policy is related to energy security criteria of the two sides of transaction. Moreover, this association is affected by Iran's national security policy. To gain conceptual framework for analyzing Iranian gas export policy, we try to compare gas export policies of Qatar and Russia, the two key natural gas exporters in the world. The studies of gas export negotiations conducted in the past three decades in addition to challenges toward mega project of Iran’s gas export clearly show lack of sufficient knowledge of Iranian energy policy-makers about energy security concepts. Overlooking the requirements of energy security in the process of gas export policymakig has greatly contributed to the loss of Iran's geo-economic potentials in spite of its considerable natural gas resources. Furthermore, Iran’s gas export policy is under pressure from the US imposed sanctions with "lack of supply security" justification for clients and is rooted in Iranian national security and foreign policy. Russia has also been striving to prevent major natural gas producers like Iran to enter the European market in order to protect its "demand security" across the continent.