Iran’s Gas Exports to Iraq Temporarily Halted
TEHRAN (Iran News) According to a report by IRNA, citing Iraq’s Al-Maalouma News Agency, Ahmed Mousa Al-Abadi, spokesman for the Iraqi Ministry of Electricity, said that Iran informed the ministry it would completely suspend gas flows to Iraq for one week. The shutdown is due to ongoing maintenance and repair work on gas pipeline infrastructure taking place within Iran.
Al-Abadi stated that Iranian gas exports to Iraq have already been halted for three days and are expected to resume in four days once maintenance work is completed.
He added that the Ministry of Electricity, in coordination with the Ministry of Oil, is currently relying on alternative fuels to keep power plants operating. Electricity production remains stable, and power stations continue to function despite the reduced gas supply.
The spokesperson noted that the ministry has prepared for peak winter electricity demand through continuous maintenance, reconstruction, and expansion efforts at power generation stations. He also said coordination with the Ministry of Oil is underway to secure domestic fuel supplies until gas imports from Iran resume.
According to IRNA, Iraq requires 35,000 megawatts of electricity to meet national demand, and roughly one-third of its power generation depends on imported Iranian gas.
A five-year extension of Iran’s gas export agreement to Iraq was signed on March 27, 2024, between Majid Chegini, then-head of the National Iranian Gas Company, and Ziyad Ali Fadel, Iraq’s Minister of Electricity. Under the contract, Iran supplies up to 50 million cubic meters of gas per day to help operate Iraqi power plants, with export volumes adjusted seasonally depending on Iran’s domestic needs.
- source : IRAN NEWS ECONOMIC DESK
