Russia has initiated fuel exports to Iran by rail for the first time this year, as traditional buyers avoided trade with Moscow, according to three industry sources and export data.
Russia and Iran, under Western sanctions, are developing stronger ties to support their economies and counter the sanctions they perceive as unjust.
In response to Moscow’s actions in Ukraine, the Western sanctions on Russian oil products have altered the global fuel market dynamics, with suppliers opting for longer routes and unconventional destinations and transportation methods.
Iran has faced Western sanctions for years, limiting its access to global markets. Neither the Russian nor Iranian oil ministries have commented on the matter.
Although Russia’s Deputy Prime Minister Alexander Novak announced swap supplies of oil products with Iran last autumn, actual shipments only began this year.
Russia supplied up to 30,000 tonnes of gasoline and diesel to Iran in February and March, as reported by two sources familiar with the export data. A third source confirmed the trade but couldn’t verify the volumes. The fuel was transported by rail from Russia via Kazakhstan and Turkmenistan, with some gasoline cargoes being trucked from Iran to neighboring countries, including Iraq.
