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Jan 22, 2025 | 
stimson.org | Umud Shokri |Barbara Slavin
Editor’s Note: Umud Shokri has two decades of experience in global energy dynamics, climate change, clean energy technologies, energy security, and geopolitics. He has worked extensively with government, academic and industry stakeholders to shape energy policy in the Caspian Sea Basin, Central Asia and the Middle East. He has long followed Iran’s energy struggles and the role of countries such as Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, and Türkiye in shaping future energy security.
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Jan 15, 2025 | 
qoshe.com | Umud Shokri
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Oct 23, 2024 | 
stimson.org | Umud Shokri |Barbara Slavin |Joaquin Matamis
Editor’s Note: Umud Shokri is an expert on energy issues in developing countries, especially in Central Asia and the Middle East. This is his first piece for Stimson. By Barbara Slavin, Distinguished Fellow, Middle East PerspectivesAmid the multiple crises roiling the Middle East, Iran’s new President Masoud Pezeshkian also faces important decisions about his country’s energy destiny.
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Sep 9, 2024 | 
gulfif.org | Mary Smith |Umud Shokri
In the last half-decade, Saudi Arabia has deliberately set out to realize a green economy and achieve an energy transition that will position the country to flourish in a post-oil world. To this end, the Kingdom has unveiled several bold initiatives aimed at reducing carbon emissions, increasing the potential for renewable energy sources, and leading the way in the development of clean energy technologies.
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Aug 27, 2024 | 
gulfif.org | Mary Smith |Umud Shokri
As increasingly devastating climate events underline the need to transition away from fossil fuels, the rapid and sustainable development of renewable energy resources has emerged as a focal point in the global discourse on sustainable development. The United Arab Emirates—particularly the largest and most powerful emirates of Dubai and Abu Dhabi—has advanced significantly in the field of renewable energy to meet the demands of a post-oil era.
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Aug 2, 2024 | 
gulfif.org | Mary Smith |Umud Shokri
Although Iran is one of the world’s largest producers of fossil fuels, the Islamic Republic has increasingly focused on renewable energy to address its growing domestic energy shortfall and environmental challenges. Recent years have seen a significant shift in Iran’s energy strategy and major investments in green energy projects, driven by the country’s need to diversify its sources of revenue, circumvent economic sanctions, and address concerns over the country’s environmental record.
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Jul 16, 2024 | 
intellinews.com | Umud Shokri
Iran’s mismatch between energy supply and consumption has led to industrial power outages and blackouts for residential users, leading to increased poverty, economic losses and social unrest.
The mismatch between energy production and consumption in Iran has made it difficult for the government to provide power to different users. As a result, industrial power outages have grown from one to two days per week, while blackouts for residential users are becoming more frequent and severe.
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Jun 26, 2024 | 
gulfif.org | Anas Al Qaed |Umud Shokri
With the signing of the 2015 Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), Iran agreed to suspend its nuclear aspirations in exchange for a Western commitment to significant sanctions relief. However, after the United States pulled out of the deal in 2018, Iran began to once again increase its nuclear operations, including through increasing the amount of uranium enrichment and developing centrifuge technology.
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May 28, 2024 | 
gulfif.org | Anas Al Qaed |Umud Shokri
Last month, after Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan visited Baghdad, Iraq announced that it would join the region-wide “Development Road” project, which will link the country with Qatar, the UAE, and Turkey. Baghdad is also near completing construction of the Grand Al-Faw Port, which will immediately become the largest port in the Middle East and strengthen Baghdad’s geopolitical position as an essential commercial link between Asia and Europe.
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Apr 23, 2024 | 
gulfif.org | Anas Al Qaed |Umud Shokri
Though the country faces a raft of international sanctions and several major geopolitical hurdles, Iran’s oil and gas sector has seen a significant expansion in recent months—a period of growth marked by new energy deals with foreign partners, rising output, and the discovery of newly unexplored reserves. Iran has aggressively pursued new energy ties to its neighbors, including Turkey, Iraq, and Russia, while simultaneously investing in domestic oil and gas projects to boost output and exports.
