Free Republic

Prior to President Donald Trump authorizing targeted strikes against Iranian nuclear sites on Saturday, federal agents and Texas Department of Public Safety troopers have been arresting Iranian nationals, nearly all men, in the U.S. illegally. In the last few months, federal prosecutors have also brought terrorism charges against Iranians, including those in the U.S. working for the Iranian government. Iran is a designated state sponsor of terrorism. Iranian nationals illegally in the country are considered “special interest aliens” under federal law. The U.S. Department of Homeland Security on Sunday issued a warning to all Americans to be on a heightened...

Russia is burning off significant quantities of natural gas worth millions of dollars daily, which would have gone to Germany through the Nord Stream 1 pipeline. Experts at Norway-based Rystad Energy found that a new liquified natural gas (LNG) facility northwest of St. Petersburg is burning an estimated $10 million worth of gas every day. The LNG plant is located close to a compressor station at the start of the Nord Stream 1 pipeline, which transports gas to Germany under the sea via a Baltic Sea pipeline. Gazprom, the Russian energy giant, announced in July that it would reduce natural...

Russia and Iran are have begun talks to create an OPEC-like cartel for natural gas which would allow them to coordinate an “extraordinary” level of reserve output, giving them tremendous control over the tightness of the market and the price of the resource, according to a report by OIlPrice. The report said, “Occupying the number one and number two positions in the world’s largest gas reserves table, respectively – Russia with just under 48 trillion cubic meters (tcm) and Iran with nearly 34 tcm – the two countries are in an ideal position to do this.” Russia’s Gazprom and the...

State-owned NIOC said that operations have begun to start injecting oil into the 1,000km Goreh-Jask pipeline, which will be inaugurated "in the near future." The 46-inch diameter pipeline connects Iran's southwest Bushehr province to Jask, on the country's southern Gulf of Oman coast. The Jask terminal will provide an alternative to the Kharg Island loading point — from where most Iranian crude is shipped — and smaller terminals Lavan, Sirri and Soroush, all of which are located further into the Mideast Gulf. Iranian condensate exports are served by the Assaluyeh terminal. Iran has overwhelmingly relied on Kharg Island for its...