Base permissions in Turkmenistan for US Air Force planes that could be involved in an attack on Iran? A US role in building a Caspian Sea pipeline that could enable exports of Turkmen gas to flow to Europe? Meetings with American experts who will build golf courses in the Central Asian country?

Turkmen paramount leader Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov’s mysterious trip to Florida last week has invited no end of speculation. Did he or did he not meet with Donald Trump at Mar-a-Lago in Palm Beach? Another unanswered question.

With the US encircling Iran with a massive military task force, unconfirmed reports that US military transport aircraft – including C-17A Globemaster III and MC-130 Super Hercules, with the latter often used by special forces – have landed in Turkmenistan, which borders Iran to the northeast, have drawn particular attention.

There again, Turkmenistan prides itself on its studied neutrality in international affairs. Any helping hand given to the US military in an attack on neighbour Iran might have to come with very plausible deniability.

What would the Turkmen want in return for playing any such role? Perhaps a big US investment in the aforementioned Caspian Sea pipeline would do very nicely. Ashgabat has been running out of options for selling gas to anybody other than China. A difficulty with this pipeline theory is that such a plan to diversify sales could be blocked by Russia, which has a strong say in what energy pipelines, if any, could be laid across the Caspian seabed.

One thing does seem confirmed: the golf angle. On February 21, Turkmen state news agency TDH reported that the first thing Berdimuhamedov did on his February 16-19 trip was meet with the president of Nicklaus Companies, John Reese, to discuss materials to be used for golf courses to be built in Arkadag and Avaza National Tourist Zone.

During the visit, Berdimuhamedov gave an exclusive interview to Al Arabiya TV anchor Rizwan Khan – but in true Turkmen regime fashion, he revealed nothing of consequence. 

When asked about the purpose of his visit to the US, he responded without providing specifics that he "views it as a serious impetus for the consistent development of multifaceted cooperation with a long-term focus".

This correspondent could say the same thing about the breakfast he had this morning ahead of his engagement with the day. 

"In the political sphere,” added Berdimuhamedov, “we are translating issues of diversifying energy flows and ensuring their security into practical terms. Naturally, this work is being carried out taking into account geoeconomic realities and development trends." A nod to how Turkmenistan would like help from the US with security in Afghanistan in terms of the TAPI pipeline it has long wanted to construct across the country to reach the Pakistani and Indian markets?

There is also the fact that the US as things stand uses sanctions to block gas swaps that would see Iran deliver gas to Turkey (perhaps for forwarding to Europe) in return for Turkmen gas flowing to its north, where the Iranian gas distribution system remains inadequate for circulating domestic gas. Could a post-current-regime Iran unblock those arrangements? Perhaps the prospect has been up for discussion. Assist the US with its Iran plan now, reap rewards later?