Iran’s sweet gas

First there was the Caspian Guard and the expansion of GUAM but now we see Georgia looking for other ways to strengthen itself and get out from under Russia’s heel. From Stratfor:

Georgia and Iran have recently announced a series of agreements designed to improve economic relations. These agreements basically entail Tehran giving gifts to Tbilisi. Tbilisi’s motivations behind the agreements illustrate that all is not well with Georgia and its relationship with its close ally the United States.

And others are doing the same:

It’s not just Georgia who is jumping on the Iranian gas bandwagon. The US looked on with consternation last week as Pakistani President Pervez Musharaff … said that his country was enthusastic about the planned 2,600-kilometre gas pipeline connecting Iran and India… through Pakistan on the way. Four days earlier, the Chinese also expressed their desire to become part of the project.
…
Another American ally, Turkey, is Iran’s biggest consumer of natural gas, and has signed a contract in 2001 that stipulates at least 25 years more of gas deliveries. … and would like to export surplus gas to the West, either through southern Mediterranean ports or through the Balkans.

I can see how this helps Georgia vis a vis Russia but should the US be angry? Europipelines goes on to say, “At the end of the day, business is business. Oil and gas companies want to get the most efficient, most cost-effective pipeline they can – no matter whether it comes from Russia, Iran or anywhere else.” Isn’t this the kind of PNM connectivity that Tom Barnett calls for? I know petroleum hasn’t exactly opened up other oily regimes (ahem, Saudi Arabia, Kazakhstan, etc) but this kind of work could help to build that Iranian middle class needed for the next revolution. Should we be encouraging this?