Iranian Ambassador to Iraq Responds to Call to Depoliticize Energy Matters Amid U.S. Sanctions

Shafaq News/ The Iranian Ambassador to Iraq, Mohammed Kazem Al Sadiq, addressed the Iraqi demands for electricity to be distanced from the U.S. political headbutting with Iran.

Previously on Sunday, Iraq's leading Coordination Framework held the United States responsible for the electricity crisis and urged the government to address the American side to release payments for importing Iranian gas, refraining from using the issue politically.

In a tweet, Al Sadiq wrote, "the frequency of national voices demanding to extricate electricity from the American political deal and its exploitation to harm people is increasing with the escalating temperatures."

He emphasized that the demands for achieving Iraq's economic sovereignty "accurately diagnose the crisis and deserve gratitude," and extended his appreciation to the Iraqi government for its efforts to "achieve common interests."

The Iranian Ambassador's comments came as Iraq's Ministry of Electricity earlier in the day denied reports of Iran permanently halting gas exports to Iraq without prior notice.

Iraq's electricity supply has recently seen a notable decline, coinciding with a rise in temperatures. Statements from the spokesman of the Ministry of Electricity and the Parliamentary Energy Committee asserted that the ministry has paid its debts to the Iranian side for the gas supplied for power generation stations. Yet, the economic sanctions imposed on Iran by the United States have prevented the money from reaching Iran, prompting Tehran to halt the gas supply to Baghdad.

In response, Iraq's Parliamentary "Electricity and Energy" Committee has called on the federal government to exert pressure on the United States to keep the energy file away from political calculations.