Iran’s natural gas supplies to Iraq have declined by almost 40 percent in the first five months of this year, continuing a downward trend that began in 2024.
According to Abdul Amir Rabhavi, head of the West Asia office at the Trade Promotion Organisation of Iran, the value of gas exports to Iraq during April–August stood at approximately $950 million, significantly lower than the levels recorded in the same period last year.
“There was a decline in the Iranian gas supplies to Iraq by nearly 40 percent during the period between April and August this year,” said Rabhavi.
Rabhavi, quoted by Iraq’s Al-Sumeria News over the weekend, did not specify reasons for the decline. However, Baghdad has previously attributed reduced flows to rising domestic demand in the country, which has constrained its export capacity.
Iran, holder of the world’s second-largest proven gas reserves after Russia, remains Iraq’s primary supplier under a 2017 agreement to fuel power plants. Despite this, recurring supply cuts have strained Iraq’s electricity grid, which relies heavily on gas from its neighbour to meet peak demand.
