Iraq Plunged into Darkness Without Iranian Gas
WANA (Jun 11) – A widespread power outage in Iraq, coinciding with a sharp drop in imports from Iran, has pushed the country’s energy crisis into a new phase. With declining generation capacity, even summer supply plans have collapsed.
As summer begins and temperatures in many Iraqi cities soar past 45°C (113°F), the electricity crisis has once again emerged as one of the country’s most persistent challenges.
According to a report by Iraq’s Federal Board of Supreme Audit, despite spending over $80 billion on the electricity sector since 2003, the country’s power grid still suffers from prolonged outages and limited supply. In most areas, electricity is available for only 6 to 8 hours a day, while in some regions, blackouts last over 14 hours.
Iraq Plunged into Darkness Without Iranian Gas
Plunging Output and Total Dependence on Iranian Gas
While the Iraqi government blames the production shortfall on increased pressure on the grid due to extreme heat and a record-breaking surge in demand—now exceeding 35,000 megawatts—the country’s actual generation capacity is only around 24,000 megawatts.
Ahmed Moussa, spokesperson for the Ministry of Electricity, stated in a media interview that the current crisis is beyond the ministry’s control, attributing the root cause to international sanctions against Iran. These sanctions have blocked payments for imported gas, leading to the shutdown of key power plants and the loss of nearly 4,000 megawatts of electricity. An additional 1,000 megawatts have been lost due to the suspension of power interconnection lines with neighboring countries.
Moussa added that the Ministry had planned to boost electricity generation to around 27,000 megawatts for the summer of 2025, but fuel shortages derailed that goal, bringing real capacity down to below 23,000 megawatts.
He emphasized that despite early preparations for peak summer consumption, international variables—particularly restrictions involving Iran—caused the sudden collapse of the emergency supply plan. Iraq’s power plants rely on a mix of domestic and imported gas, and without Iranian gas, the country essentially grinds to a halt.
Iraq Plunged into Darkness Without Iranian Gas
Public Discontent and Social Strain
Amid the intense heatwave, public frustration over the dire electricity situation is mounting rapidly. Some citizens, such as Hussein Jabbar from Baghdad, complain about the unbearable conditions. He said that as temperatures near 50°C (122°F), power is only available for three hours a day, with the rest—about 10 hours—spent in total blackout.
He added that the situation is not only physically exhausting but also mentally draining. Cooling appliances don’t function, children suffer from heat exhaustion at home, and daily fatigue is worsened by the lack of means for rest or recovery.
Local generator usage has also become a financial burden. The absence of oversight on pricing has led to costs exceeding 25,000 dinars per ampere per month.
In Anbar province, another resident, Nazem Aziz, remarked that the electricity problem is no longer a temporary crisis but has become a chronic and entrenched reality—one that becomes unbearable in the summer. According to him, students struggle to study, food spoils in refrigerators, and families are forced to purchase fresh groceries daily, which strains their already limited incomes.
