Suppliers

 Iran War; where does Israel get its oil?

Israel gets most of its crude oil from the global market, not from a single domestic source. In practice, its main suppliers have included Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Russia, and also some West African producers like Gabon.

How it arrives

The oil is shipped mostly by tanker to Israeli ports such as Ashdod, Haifa, and Ashkelon, with some cargoes routed through Eilat when needed. Israel also imports refined fuel products, not just crude oil.

Why this matters in an Iran war

Because Israel buys oil internationally, the bigger risk in a regional war is usually disruption to shipping, ports, and refinery operations rather than a total lack of suppliers. The oil market is global, so Israel can often reroute supply, but conflict can raise costs and tighten logistics.

Main suppliers

Azerbaijan, via the Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan route.

Kazakhstan and Russia, via the Caspian Pipeline Consortium route.

West African crude, especially Gabon.

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Were they not affected by the sanctions against Russia?

Not completely. Israel was not part of the Western sanctions regime on Russia, so it could still buy some Russian-linked oil products and Russian-facilitated crude flows, even though those purchases became more politically sensitive and sometimes more expensive or complicated.

What changed

EU and U.S. sanctions targeted Russian oil exports, shipping, insurance, and refined products, which reduced some direct trade routes and made Russian supply harder to move through normal channels. But sanctions were not universal, so oil could still reach Israel through third countries, mixed cargoes, or supply chains involving Kazakhstan via Russia’s export infrastructure.

Why Israel still had access

Israel’s main crude sources were still diversified enough that it could replace some Russian barrels with other suppliers like Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, and West African producers. Also, some Russian-linked flows mattered more for refined products like VGO, and those flows appear to have continued in at least some form after the sanctions tightened.

Practical effect

So the sanctions did affect the trade, but they did not cut Israel off from Russian energy entirely. The bigger effect was friction: fewer straightforward deals, more routing complexity, and more scrutiny from the U.S. and Europe.

Follow-ups

Why Israel's Russian oil imports create geopolitical risks amid US pressure and Iran tensions

Deep research

How does Israel import Russian VGO via Turkey

What percentage of Israel oil is from CPC pipeline

Why did Israel lose KRG oil supply in 2023

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