Iran hopes to begin Russian gas imports via Azerbaijan in ‘near future’

This follows an agreement to accelerate the Rasht–Astara railway, seen as central to Iran–Russia trade integration  

News Desk - The Cradle 

Iran’s ambassador to Russia, Kazem Jalali, said on 25 August that deliveries of Russian gas through the Republic of Azerbaijan could begin “in the near future” once a pricing agreement is finalized.

Speaking to Russia’s TASS news agency, Jalali confirmed that discussions with the Russian multinational energy corporation Gazprom are in their final stages. “Almost all issues have been resolved, but we need to reach a common language on pricing,” he explained. “Once that is agreed, everything will be operational.”

Jalali also noted that by the end of 2025, Iran expects to expand the nationwide use of Russia’s Mir payment cards, further embedding financial cooperation between the two sanctioned states.

The envoy condemned what he described as western complicity in Israel’s crimes against Palestinians. He accused Israel of waging a “proxy war” on behalf of western powers and denounced Tel Aviv’s strikes on civilians in Gaza as “crimes against humanity.”

Addressing the June escalation with the US–Israeli alliance, Jalali stressed that Iran had demonstrated its readiness to respond. “Iran is not Gaza,” he warned. “If attacked, we will react seriously.”

Earlier this month, Moscow and Tehran advanced another key joint project at the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU) summit in Kyrgyzstan. 

Russian Deputy Prime Minister Alexey Overchuk said Moscow and Tehran agreed to accelerate work on the Rasht–Astara railway, the final link needed to complete the International North–South Transport Corridor,  seen as central to Iran–Russia trade integration.

Russia has already committed €1.3 billion (around $1.5 billion) toward the project, with experts on the ground in Iran.

Officials in Tehran say the corridor, along with planned gas imports and banking integration, reflects a strategic deepening of ties between Iran and Russia under the weight of western embargoes.

Analyst Hazal Yalin, author of three books on Turkiye-Russia relations and contemporary Russia, wrote in early June that preparations for a possible state visit by Russian President Vladimir Putin to Tehran underscored the determination of both sides to formalize their partnership. 

While no visit has yet taken place, Yalin pointed to Iran’s accession to the EAEU, its entry into BRICS, and the signing of a strategic cooperation pact with Moscow as indications that long-term economic and security convergence is already advancing.