Iraq fears power cuts as U.S. ends sanctions waiver for electricity purchases from Iran
The Hindu
U.S. declines waiver for Iraq to buy electricity from Iran, urging energy independence to end reliance on Iran.
The United States has declined to renew a waiver that had allowed Iraq to buy electricity from Iran without running afoul of sanctions, a U.S. official said on Sunday (March 9, 2025).
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The previous waiver expired Saturday, and the U.S. Department of State did not renew it, the U.S. embassy in Baghdad said in a statement.
The decision came as part of President Donald Trump’s “maximum pressure campaign” on Iran, which is “designed to end Iran’s nuclear threat, curtail its ballistic missile program and stop it from supporting terrorist groups,” the statement said.
“We urge the Iraqi government to eliminate its dependence on Iranian sources of energy as soon as possible, and welcome the Iraqi Prime Minister’s commitment to achieve energy independence,” the statement said.
Despite its oil and gas wealth, Iraq has suffered from decades of electricity shortages because of war, corruption and mismanagement and has become heavily reliant on imported Iranian gas as well as electricity imported directly from Iran to meet its electricity needs.
Power outages are common, especially in the scorching summer months. Many Iraqis have to rely on diesel generators or suffer through temperatures that exceed 50 degrees Celsius (122 degrees Fahrenheit).
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