The more than two-decade-old contract to export 10 billion cubic meters of Iranian gas annually to Turkey expires in mid-2026, but unlike in the past, there is no sign of Ankara's willingness to extend it this time. This is an issue that experts see as not only a threat to the country's gas revenue, but also a danger to Iran's geopolitical position in the region.

Hassan Moradi, an energy expert, believes that the end of Iran's gas export contract to Turkey in 2026 could have economic and security consequences for the country. He emphasizes that Iran must use energy diplomacy and a smart approach to persuade Turkey to extend gas cooperation.

In recent years, the unprecedented increase in demand intensity and the growing and accumulating imbalance between production and consumption have become a major and challenging problem in the areas of economy and national security, placing the downstream sector of the oil industry under unprecedented pressure.

Ali Asghar Rajabi, Director of Energy and Carbon at the National Iranian Gas Company, said in a pre-session of the Energy Investment Conference: "Saving energy consumption can bring Iran into the global carbon market and become a tool for attracting private sector investment."

The CEO of the National Iranian Gas Company emphasized that the dependence of about 73 to 74 percent of the country's energy portfolio on natural gas is not seen anywhere else in the world, and said: "By increasing power plant efficiency, developing renewable energies, and increasing the efficiency of industrial equipment, the dependence of the country's energy portfolio can be gradually reduced."

An international affairs analyst said: "By strengthening energy cooperation between Iran and Russia, we can achieve the elimination of the country's energy imbalances in the winter."

A member of the Energy Commission of the Islamic Consultative Assembly said: A meeting of the headquarters to eliminate imbalances on the issue of energy supply and winter fuel was held with the presence of the deputy ministers of oil and energy.

The CEO of the National Iranian Gas Company emphasized the need for industry standardization to prevent virtual gas exports and said: "By changing the fuel mix and predicting fuel diversity with the management carried out by the Ministry of Oil, we hope to be able to implement the best fuel management in the network."

The Ministry of Petroleum in the 14th government has put four main axes on the agenda: price policies, non-price policies, fuel portfolio diversification, and combating off-grid supply and smuggling, and has taken a major step towards curbing the gap between supply and demand, efficiency, justice, and sustainability in the country's energy distribution system.

The Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Association of Oil, Gas and Petrochemical Contractors (APEC), stating that EPC contracts are the main contract governing the country's construction industry, said: "To achieve development, it is necessary to facilitate oil contracts and synergize the government and the private sector."