In the 1990s , Russia controlled all export pipelines from Kazakhstan and Turkmenistan and reportedly refused to allow the use of its pipelines for Kazakh and Turkmeni natural gas . Therefore , international oil companies operating in that region started looking for routes that avoided both Iran and Russia . The 1998 United States embassy bombings in Dar es Salaam , Tanzania , and Nairobi , Kenya , interrupted that process
1998 United States embassy bombings
1998 United States embassy bombings
War in Afghanistan (2001–present)