The Sultanate of Oman is positioning itself to broker Iran’s natural gas sales to the rest of the world, including Japan, if, and when, international sanctions over Tehran's nuclear ambitions are eased.
A preliminary accord was reached in November, whereby the United States, Britain, Germany, France, China and Russia agreed to ease sanctions on Iran for six months if Tehran agreed to temporarily freeze its nuclear program.
In a move seen by some as using great foresight, the Sultan of Oman, Qaboos bin Said, signed a memorandum to lay an underwater pipeline across the Strait of Hormuz to Iran and to purchase $60 billion (6.3 trillion yen) worth of natural gas over 25 years from 2015.
The agreement was signed during a visit to Tehran in late August soon after Hassan Rouhani assumed Iran's presidency, and three months before Iran reached the preliminary sanctions-busting deal.
Oman's interests coincided with those of Iran, which is eager to begin exports to redevelop its gas resources and infrastructure, which suffered under the sanctions. The Iranian ambassador to Oman told a local newspaper that half of Iran's exports to Oman will be re-exported to Japan, South Korea and India.
'via Blog this'
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