Iran offers to supply Jordan with natural gas

“We are studying the Iranian offer as one of the options facing Jordan in the wake of the recurrent cut-off of Egyptian gas supplies,” Touqan said in a statement.

Iranian ambassador in Amman, Mustafa Zadah, confirmed his country’s readiness to supply Jordan with natural gas, but said the prices and quantities would be discussed after Amman accepts the Iranian offer which was sent 40 days ago.

“The Iranian gas can be exported to Jordan through the pipelines that supply Iraq and Turkey with Iranian gas,” he told the Jordanian daily Alghad on Monday.

In addition to the Iranian bid, Amman is considering offers from Russia and Qatar, Touqan said.

Egyptian gas supplies to Jordan were cut-off for 82 days Since Feb. 5 due to three subversive acts in the Sinai pipeline that connects the Red Sea port of Aqaba and travels northward to supply Syria and Lebanon and later Turkey with Egyptian gas.

The recurrent rupture of Egyptian gas supplies to Jordan has prompted the authorities to resort to heavy fuel for the generation of electricity that implied higher costs and aggravated the country’s public budget deficit.

The Jordanian government recently initialed an agreement with Cairo for raising the prices of the Egyptian gas supplies to Jordan as stated in the 2001 accord.

The two governments are studying the new agreement prior to signing it officially, Touqan told the state-run Jordan television recently.