The signing of a memorandum of understanding (MoU) last week between Russian state gas giant Gazprom and the Iranian National Gas Company (NIGC) to begin direct transfers of gas from Russia to Iran “will act as a revolution in the energy and industry scene of the region”, according to Iran’s Petroleum Minister, Javad Owji. Indeed, this MoU and the others that preceded it can be seen as a major stepping stone to enabling the two countries to implement their long-held plan to be the core participants in a global cartel for gas suppliers in the same mold as the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) for oil suppliers.
