Natural gas pipeline to link Iran, Turkmenistan

The two neighbors plan to expand their relationship and build a natural gas pipeline into Iran from Turkmenistan, Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said on Wednesday. Khamenei and Turkmenistan’s People’s Council Chairman Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov met in person on Wednesday, according to a social media post from the Ayatollah.

The relationship between the two countries is a top priority and there are multiple avenues for cooperation between them, Khamenei said. Turkmenistan’s state news agency confirmed that the leaders from both countries agreed to several initiatives. Among the agreements was a plan for the two countries' ministries of foreign affairs to collaborate for the next two years, Turkmenistan’s agency reported. The countries also signed a memorandum of understanding for their ports on the Caspian Sea to work together, according to the report.

What sort of country is Turkmenistan? A former Soviet bloc country, Turkmenistan avoids alliances with large powers like the United States, Russia, and China and instead focuses on regional alliances, according to the U.S. State Department. Its biggest export is natural gas and China has been its largest customer. The country has a miserable human rights track record in recent years, according to the State Department. Turkmenistan restricts the flow of information and freedom of expression, according to Amnesty International.

Dig deeper: Read Jill Nelson’s report in WORLD Magazine about how Iran is joining a new axis of evil with Russia and other countries following the start of Moscow’s war in Ukraine.