Iran Cuts Natural Gas Exports To Iraq Again

  

In late December 2024 Iran once again cut off its natural gas exports to Iraq. Baghdad is dependent upon this supply which is delivered completely at the whim of its neighbor.

 

On December 24 Iraq’s Electricity Ministry announced that was no longer receiving gas from Iran. This resulted in the loss of 4,000-4,500 megawatts of power. Iran is responsible for 33-40% of Baghdad’s power needs. The cause of the disruption was a cold winter which increased domestic demand for gas in Iran.

 

By January 13 the Electricity Ministry said that Tehran has given no word when exports would resume. The disruption was now costing Iraq 5000 megawatts of electricity.

 

This is just the latest example of Iran denying its neighbor much needed power. At the end of November Iran did maintenance work which closed exports for a few days.  In June Iran said it would halt some of its gas production which resulted in a 50% drop in supply. In May there was another partial halt which cost Iraq 5000 megawatts.

 

Iran has proven to be a completely unreliable partner. Maintenance work is routine and expected but the constant stop and start of exports by Tehran for domestic needs or unstated reasons is unacceptable. It places Baghdad at the mercy of its neighbor. The Electricity Ministry has signed many deals with other countries and companies to increase gas supply and electricity production but they are nowhere near competing with Iran.

 

Baghdad is stuck in this relationship because of four reasons. First, the United States failed to rebuild the country’s infrastructure due to the lack of planning and the collapse in security during the occupation. Second, Iraq has no real alternatives yet as its other contracts have not come to fruition yet. It will probably take years to tell whether any of them will be successful in replacing Iran. Third, there is no limit on demand for electricity. The government tried charging people for usage but that collapsed due to protests. Last, most of Iraq’s elites are aligned with Iran and want to give its patron business and money. That’s the reason why the government never makes any real complaints when Iran cuts off supply and parts of the country are thrown in the dark.

 

SOURCES

 

Al Aalem, “Iran’s gas industry has ground to a halt. Will Iraq be plunged into darkness?” 6/17/25

 

Bas News, “Iran Cuts Gas to Iraq, 3,800 MW Lost from Grid,” 7/2/25

 

Kurdistan 24, “Iraqi Halts Gas Exports to Iraq, Deepening National Electricity Crisis,” 11/28/25

 

Al Mada, “Iranian gas outage costs Iraq 5,000 megawatts,” 6/3/25

- “One-fifth of Iraq’s electricity supply is cut off ... Tehran informs Baghdad that there is no specific date for the resumption of gas flow,” 1/13/26

 

Middle East Monitor, “Iraq says gas supplies from Iran have been halted,” 12/24/25

 

Reuters, "Iraq says no sign gas supplies from Iran to resume soon," 1/10/26

 

Shafaq News, “Iranian power cuts deepen electricity crisis in Diyala,” 5/26/25

 

Xinhua, “Iraq loses 3,500 megawatts of electricity due to drop in Iranian gas imports,” 5/23/25

- “Iraq resumes Iranian gas imports after maintenance,” 12/1/25