The UK government has issued a general trade license permitting the continuation of operations at the Shah Deniz gas field in Azerbaijan under the sanctions regime against Iran.
The decision was published in the document 'General Trade Licence: Services Necessary for the Continued Operation of the Shah Deniz Gas Field'.
According to the document, the UK's new sanctions measures against Iran include exemptions that allow the continued implementation of the Shah Deniz project, which provides critical gas supplies to the UK's European partners.
'This is a continuation of the UK's long-term policy and is consistent with the approach of the European Union and the United States, which have also provided similar exemptions for activities related to the Shah Deniz field,' the document states.
The license covers activities related to the core operations of the Shah Deniz Upstream Unincorporated Joint Venture, the South Caucasus Pipeline, Azerbaijan Gas Supply Company, as well as associated pipeline projects and joint ventures established to transport Azerbaijani gas to Turkey and Europe.
The document specifies that the permissions extend to the supply of energy equipment and technologies, the provision of technical assistance, and financial and brokering services related to the energy sector, provided they are necessary for the functioning of the aforementioned projects.
The decision was made under amendments to UK sanctions legislation — the Iran (Sanctions) (Amendment) Regulations 2026 — which modify existing sanctions regimes against Iran.