Saeed Tavakli: Iraq Signs New Gas Export Contract With Iran

Baghdad /NINA/ -The CEO of the National Iranian Gas Company, Saeed Tavakoli, confirmed today, Saturday, "The export of gas to Iraq is currently ongoing, and we have recently signed a long-term contract with Iraq." 

Speaking to the Iranian Mehr News Agency, regarding US President Donald Trump's decision last Wednesday to cancel the exemption granted to Iraq to import electricity and gas from Iran as part of the new sanctions against Tehran, Tavakoli said, "The decision represents an escalation of US pressure on Iran, as it pressures Iraq to reduce its dependence on Iranian energy." 

Saeed Tavakoli confirmed, "The export of gas to Iraq is currently underway, and since we have recently extended a good contract for exporting gas, it is likely that the cancellation of the exemption granted to Iraq to import electricity and gas from Iran was for another form of gas import." 

The Iranian official continued, "Fortunately, the Iranian-Iraqi contract is in place, but the volume of exports increases and decreases according to the contractual terms." 

Regarding gas imports and swaps, Tavakoli also said, "We do not import gas, but gas imports and swaps, such as electricity, are carried out from Armenia." 

As the CEO of the National Gas Company stated regarding the drop in temperatures and the state of gas supply: "Currently, the network conditions are stable, and in the current situation, 72 % of the gas produced is consumed in the domestic sector, and thanks to the cooperation of the citizens, the gas supply network will remain stable in the coming days." 

Iranian officials said last year that the amount of Iraq's debt to Iran amounted to $11 billion due to the gas it purchased, and the payment of this debt by Iraq was postponed to the extent that Iran was forced, in response, to reduce gas exports due to the heavy debt./End