Tehran Rules Out Any Possibility of Iran-Pakistan-India Gas Pipeline

Tehran has ruled out any possibility of Iran-Pakistan-India (IPI) gas pipeline project becoming a reality.

"Those who have invested in the LNG projects in India will not allow the pipeline venture to take off,” Iranian ambassador to India Gholamreza Ansari said on Thursday at a media event in New Delhi, reported Indo Asian News Service (IANS), a news agency.

He added that US will continue to oppose the project and will not let it materialise.

"Americans are looking for the Indian market for the future and any sort of pipeline will put an end to these investments. So, I don't think pipeline can be a serious project. I am sure Americans will not let this project go ahead," he said. 

The idea of IPI pipeline took concrete shape in the 1990s. Discussions between the governments of Iran and Pakistan started in 1994. A preliminary agreement was signed in 1995. Later Iran made a proposal to extend the pipeline from Pakistan into India. In February 1999, a preliminary agreement between Iran and India was signed. However, India later withdrew from the project citing security reasons.

Currently, only Iran-Pakistan (IP) section of the pipeline is in the works with Iran having finished laying the pipeline on its soil.  But due to sanctions on Iran, Pakistan did not start work on the pipeline.However, with sanction now lifted, both parties are eager to finish the project. Islamabad has said the pipeline remains a very important project. 

India on the other hand is negotiating with Iran to build $4.5 billion under sea gas pipeline bypassing Pakistan.