Iraqi delegation travels to Iran to discuss $ 1.7 billion in gas debt

The Iraqi Minister of Electricity said that Baghdad owed $ 1.6 billion for gas imports to Iran and asked Washington to allow its country to pay the debt, AFP reported, according to the Fars International Economic Group.

Despite its vast oil and gas reserves, Iraq continues to depend on energy imports to meet its needs, and Iran currently supplies one-third of its gas and electricity under tightly controlled exemptions from US sanctions.

“Iraq’s total overdue debt to Iran has now reached $ 1.690 billion,” Iraqi Electricity Minister Adel Karimi said in an interview on state television.

“This amount is still in the Trade Bank of Iraq and has not been paid to the Iranian government. Iran is supposed to buy food or medicine with these amounts, but before making a purchase, this will require a long-term review by the “It’s the US government or other American institutions.”

He added: “According “The fact that the United States has authorized the import of gas must also allow the release of the money.”

“Iran is investing heavily in modernizing its gas infrastructure.”

The report claims that Iran, which has not been able to collect its debt from Iraq, has stopped sending electricity and gas to Iraq several times.

But Iraqi officials say the disruption to gas supplies to Iraq has sometimes been due to a shortage of Iranian domestic supply.

“When they need gas, they stop supply,” Adel Karimi said.

The Iraqi official also noted that there is no penalty in the contract with Iran for non-compliance with the agreed deliveries.

He announced the visit of an Iraqi delegation to Tehran in the coming days to discuss this issue.

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