Media: Iraq lacks electricity due to Iranian gas shortages

Iraq is facing electricity shortage as Iran cuts natural gas supplies, Shafaq News reported today, citing a source in the Iraqi Electricity Ministry.

"The decrease in the volume of Iranian gas supplies to Iraq over the past 24 hours has led to a reduction in the production capacity of electricity generating plants and a decrease in the number of hours of electricity supply in Baghdad and a number of other provinces", the source said, TASS reports.

Iraq is heavily dependent on Iranian electricity supplies as well as fuel for its power plants, importing up to 50 million cubic meters of natural gas daily, but Iran periodically reduces or completely suspends exports due to internal shortages or Baghdad's default on financial obligations.