Iran grants Iraq temporary permits to import gas to secure its needs
Iran grants Iraq temporary permits to import gas to secure its needs
2025-03-01
The CEO of the National Iranian Gas Company and Iran’s Deputy Oil Minister, Saeed Tavakoli, announced today, Saturday, that Iraq will obtain temporary permits to import Iranian gas. Tavakoli said in press statements that “Iraq always obtains temporary permits to import Iranian gas so that it can secure its needs for this vital material,” adding: “We assumed that this situation would be repeated and that an exception would be granted to Iraq.”
These statements came in response to the news that was recently circulated about the decision to ban Iran’s gas exports to Iraq on March 8. Tavakoli also stressed that the situation will be exceptional within the framework of the ongoing cooperation between the two countries.
These statements coincided with an announcement by the Iraqi Undersecretary of Oil for Gas Affairs, Izzat Saber, last Friday, that the Iraqi government is studying the possibility of importing gas from Qatar and Algeria after US President Donald Trump’s decision to cancel the exemptions that allowed Iraq to import gas and electricity from Iran, noting that this step comes within the package of new sanctions imposed on Iran.
For years, Iraq has relied heavily on imports of gas and electricity from Iran, especially during the summer, and has benefited from ongoing US waivers that have been renewed annually.
At the same time, Iraq seeks to reduce its dependence on Iranian gas by importing gas from other countries such as Turkmenistan, although this has not been implemented due to some logistical and financial problems.
burathanews.com
