Russia Floods Market with Oil and Gas Orders Amid Iran–Israel War

Russia reports a significant surge in demand for Russian energy products amid the war between the United States and Israel against Iran. The Kremlin said the conflict has spurred higher demand for Russian oil and gas, a day after the United States Department of the Treasury issued temporary relief for 30 days allowing India to purchase Russian oil that is currently stranded at sea. The war, now in its sixth day on Friday (6 March 2026), has brought the Strait of Hormuz, a vital shipping lane for global energy trade, to the brink of closure. This has left many countries scrambling for energy supplies as roughly a fifth of global oil and LNG supplies face potential disruption. Russia, which has been at war with Ukraine for more than four years, could stand to gain indirect benefits from this major new conflict in the Middle East. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Russia remains a reliable supplier of energy, both via pipelines and in the form of liquefied natural gas. “We are seeing a significant increase in demand for Russian energy sources connected to the war in Iran. Russia has and continues to be a dependable supplier of oil and gas, including gas via pipelines and LNG,” Peskov told reporters, cited by Al Jazeera. He added Russia is also able to ensure the continuity of all energy shipments already contracted. However, Peskov refused to reveal the potential volume of additional Russian oil supplies to India after Washington’s temporary relief. The move followed months of US pressure on India not to buy Russian oil, including threats of high tariffs against the South Asian country.