TEHRAN (Iran News) –Secretary of Iranian Oil, Gas and Petrochemical Products Exporters’ Union (OPEX) Hamid Hosseini says if Iraq and Turkey realize that they can supply their required gas for all seasons from other sources, they will definitely go to them but the condition in the region is in a way that there is no replacement for Iran’s gas in Iraq market and Turkey due to the rise in its domestic consumption as well as possibility for re-export of gas will definitely renew its gas contract with Iran in 2026.
Speaking to ILNA and reacting to reports that Iran has stopped gas export to Iraq, Hosseini said that according to the latest statistics released, Iran exports 14m cubic meters of gas per day to Iraq and probably 6 to 7 million cubic meters of the amount goes to Turkey while according to the deal between Iran and Turkey, Iran has to export some 25m cubic meters of gas to Turkey per day.
He added that some 7m cubic meters of gas is also exported to Iraq while in the previous months Iran used to export 50m cubic meters of gas to Iraq per . He noted that according to the export statistics, Iran has exported gas worth of $3.5m to Iraq, and in the contract with Iraq it has been certainly stipulated that Iran can reduce the amount of gas export to Iraq in the winter, and for this reason we see decline in gas export to Iraq. He noted that in the past two years, Iran’s gas export to Iraq has decreased and Iraqis are unhappy but they understand Iran’s condition, too.
Hosseini said that because of these conditions and problems, Iraq and Turkey will definitely replace Iran gas if they can find replacements but the condition in the region is in a way that they have to use Iran gas and Turkey will definitely renew gas imports contract from Iran in 2026.
He added that Iraq owes Iran $10b and Iraqi Prime Minister has promised to find some mechanism for paying Iran’s debts either money or required goods by Iran.
Hosseini said that cooperation with Iran is to the benefit of Iraq, adding that Iran has shown its capabilities in the current condition of Iraq and some power stations on Iraq are working with installation of Iranian turbines and they work even better than their foreign rivals.
He noted that the transformers which had been imported from Turkey and China to be used in Iraq’s power plants have broken down and this shows how Iranian-made transformers function well and it shows Iraq’s cooperation with Iran will useful for them.
Hossein said that 12-day halt in gas supply by Iran to Iraq due to repair of pipelines has caused fall in electricity production in Iraq.
