Rafsanjani: Libya, Iraq victims of their energy reserves

Chairman of Iran's Expediency Council Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani said the reason countries like Iraq and Libya are entangled in their current state is because they are rich with energy resources. "It is predicted that the war on energy will be more serious in the world. What happened in Iraq and Libya is because these two states are two of the world's greatest energy suppliers," Rafsanjani said, addressing the third International Symposium of Iran 2026. He underlined that Iran is NATO's chief target in Iraq and Afghanistan, and asserted that Iran enjoys an unparallel strategic state in the region regarding the supply of energy which should be wisely considered by managers and decision makers. The senior Iranian politician further criticized the former administration for missing many opportunities regarding expansion of oil and gas resources, and said a country like Iraq has advanced to near border regions with Iran by drilling oil rigs while Iranian oil rigs are inactive in the areas. "Because of not having access to the latest technologies, production of oil and gas in Iran it too modest while demands for energy supplies is growing in a non-stop fashion," he added. Elsewhere in his address, Rafsanjani posited that Iran is the safest rout for gas pipelines in the region. "Talks were held with Turkmenistan for the transfer of Turkmen gas to Turkey through Iranian pipelines which would make Iran a key player of gas export in the world. However, the negotiations have failed so far," he added.