Tajikistan has begun exporting oil and petroleum products from Iran. This action could be a new source for the country's energy supply, which has long relied on Russia for most of its fuel needs.
Details of the Start of Exports
The Ministry of Energy and Water Resources of Tajikistan has announced that shipments began in late August following negotiations between the two countries to expand cooperation in the oil and gas sector. However, the ministry has not disclosed the volume of shipments, the commercial terms of these exchanges, or how oil and petroleum products from Iran will be transported to Tajikistan.
Read more: DOF Group received a multi-million dollar contract for its submarines
This action raises the question of whether trade with Iran could expose Tajikistan to U.S. secondary sanctions, especially as Washington has increased pressure on the Islamic Republic's oil revenues. Gigi O'Connell, spokesperson for the U.S. Treasury Department, stated that anyone who decides to continue activities in this sector assumes the responsibility for this risk.
Meeting Tajikistan's Energy Needs
Tajikistan has requested Iran to supply up to 2.55 million tons of crude oil and petroleum products annually, including gasoline, diesel, and aviation fuel. However, this figure is the upper limit of Tajikistan's request and does not mean importing this amount of oil and petroleum products from Iran. Turning to Iranian resources could be another way to meet Tajikistan's needs, although the economic viability and logistical issues of transporting large volumes of Iranian oil to landlocked Tajikistan remain unclear.
This agreement comes amid uncertainties regarding Tajikistan's fuel supply from Russia. In the first half of 2026, Russia supplied over 91% of Tajikistan's petroleum product imports. Fuel shortages in Russia and the country's export restrictions have pushed Tajikistan and other Central Asian countries to seek alternative sources.
Tajik officials stated in July that they are negotiating with neighboring countries to secure future fuel needs. Parviz Malajanov, a Tajik political analyst, says the effort to secure energy from Iran is partly due to Tajikistan's need to find alternative resources.
The shipment of Iranian cargoes has begun at a time when relations between Tehran and Dushanbe are also improving. Edward Lemon, head of the Oxus Association for Central Asian Affairs, says: "The news of the start of Iranian oil sales to Tajikistan comes as relations between Dushanbe and Tehran are improving and the two countries are getting closer to each other."
Tajikistan and Iran, which have close linguistic and historical ties, established diplomatic relations in 1992. The Tajik Ministry of Foreign Affairs states that the volume of bilateral trade reached $438 million in 2025, an increase of 28% compared to the previous year, and the two countries have signed over 200 agreements and memoranda of understanding.
In a joint intergovernmental commission meeting between Tajikistan and Iran held in May in Dushanbe, officials from both countries discussed energy, transportation, industry, investment, science, and technology. The two countries also cooperate in the defense sector and opened a drone production center in Dushanbe in 2022.
However, the relationship between the two countries has not always been close. Relations between Tehran and Dushanbe soured significantly in the mid-2010s, and in 2017, the Islamic Republic was accused of involvement in a series of political murders in Tajikistan. Relations between the two countries began to improve in the early 2020s.
A Tajik delegation that visited Tehran in August discussed with Iranian officials in the fields of petroleum products and railways. Energy supply and logistical issues were among the topics discussed in these meetings. However, expanding energy cooperation with Iran, alongside increasing U.S. pressure on Iran, could also have consequences for Tajikistan.
According to U.S. sanctions regulations against Iran, foreign companies and financial institutions may be targeted for sanctions due to conducting certain major transactions related to Iranian oil and petroleum products. The U.S. Treasury Department has repeatedly warned about the risk of sanctions related to Iranian oil and announced in August that the scope of activities that could lead to secondary sanctions has expanded.
Read more: Oil tankers continue operations in the Strait of Hormuz under U.S. military supervision · Iran's gas shortage reached 250 million cubic meters per day
