Middle East Monitor: Can Iran Really Enter the European Energy Market and Challenge Russia?

Energy security has always been among the top priorities on the political agenda of any country. The European Union (EU) is not alone in its desire to enhance its energy security, especially since Russia started to recover from the volatile 1990s to mid-2000s period. The issue of dependency on energy supplies from a state which can no longer be reasoned effectively as being in the EU's own interest has become a top priority. In order to diversify its supply sources and reduce reliance on Russia the EU worked out the Southern Gas Corridor concept as a strategy to facilitate the flow of Caspian and Middle Eastern gas to European markets.

In the light of recent developments, such as the conflict in Ukraine and worsening relations between Russia and the West, the shutdown of the South Stream project and the promising results of the recent round of Iranian nuclear talks, speculation about the prospect of Iranian energy supplies getting to Europe has been revived. There is a feeling, though, that many in the West have started to cook a hare before catching him. Nevertheless, can Iran really enter the European energy market and challenge Russian energy dominance?

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