🇶🇦 Qatar looks to Iran for power lifeline after strikes expose Gulf vulnerabilities Qatar is exploring securing a power cable from Iran as a crucial backup amid regional tensions, reports The Cradle. Talks on connecting the two countries’ power grids began years before the recent US-Israeli war on Iran. Retaliatory Iranian missile strikes on Ras Laffan damaged Qatar’s gas facilities and the power-desalination plant that turns turbine heat into drinking water - lending the project new urgency. 🔴 Qatar’s Kahramaa awarded a $1.7M feasibility study contract to Energoprojekt Entel in June 2025 🔴 Iran’s energy minister said in 2026 that the study was nearing completion 🔴 Qatar and Iran have yet to clarify proposed capacity, financing, electricity trade arrangements & emergency supply commitments Qatar already has strategic water reservoirs and access to the Gulf Cooperation Council’s shared electricity network via the UAE. An Iranian connection could add another source of electricity. Iran already has experience with cross-border power deals: it signed an operating agreement with Turkey for the 400-kV Van–Khoy link in 2024, while Pakistan’s 2023 Polan–Gabd line was designed to deliver an additional 100 MW of Iranian electricity. Any new deal would need clear rules on electricity volumes, prices and emergency transfers - including how much power Iran can guarantee. In 2023, Iran itself faced summer peak electricity demand exceeding available supply by 12 GW. US sanctions could further complicate payments, insurance and equipment supplies. Ultimately, the project could turn a long-discussed energy partnership into a practical regional resilience mechanism, argues the publication. 👍 Substack | Chat | @geopolitics_prime