TEHRAN – A reduction in gas exports to Iraq was a technical matter and Tehran had not decided on any cuts, Iran’s foreign minister told his Iraqi counterpart on Friday, according to a report.
Iraqi Foreign Minister Fuad Hussein asked his Iranian counterpart Hussein Amir-Abdollahian during a phone call about Iran’s reduction of exports in the past week, which Hussein said “led to a decrease in electricity production and has repercussions on daily life,” the Iraqi foreign ministry said in a statement.
An Iraqi delegation led by the electricity minister will travel to Iran this week to discuss the issue, Iraqi state media reported on Tuesday, noting gas imports had decreased by 20 million cubic meters at the time, Reuters reported.
Iraq usually imports between 50 million to 70 million cubic meters of gas, according to Iraq’s Electricity Ministry Spokesperson Ahmed Moussa.
Iraq imports electricity and gas from Iran that in total makes up between a third and 40 percent of its power supply, especially crucial in the sweltering summer months when temperatures can top 50 degrees Celsius (122°F) and power consumption peaks.
Iraq owes Iran around $11 billion in outstanding debts, according to Iraqi officials, which it struggles to pay due to US sanctions on Iran that limit dollar transactions.
While Iran has slashed gas supplies previously amid the longstanding dispute over the debt repayments, both countries have sought to find creative ways to settle parts of the debt.