Iran Says Its Energy Sector Claims Against Iraq Amount to $5-7 Billion
The head of the Iran-Iraq Joint Chamber of Commerce says Iran’s energy sector claims against Iraq amount to between five and seven billion dollars.
According to Yahya Al-Ishaq, Iran and Iraq have a current account, energy exports including gas to Iraq continue, and payments for these exports are received continuously in various forms.
The head of the Iran-Iraq Joint Chamber of Commerce told Tasnim News Agency that Iran’s claims against Iraq are not fixed and change daily, but on average these claims amount to between five and seven billion dollars.
According to his remarks, the volume of trade exchange between Iran and Iraq until last month was approximately eight billion dollars. The private sector collects its claims from Iraq through exchange bureaus or other channels.
Yahya Al-Ishaq’s remarks come as Hamid Hosseini, a board member of the Iran-Iraq Joint Chamber of Commerce, announced on Saturday that Iran’s daily gas exports to Iraq have decreased from 52 million cubic meters to 8 million cubic meters.
According to agreements between Baghdad and Tehran signed in 2013 and 2015, Iran must increase gas exports to Iraq to a ceiling of 70 million cubic meters during peak consumption seasons.
Iraj Masjedi, Iran’s ambassador to Baghdad, also rejected the Iraqi side’s request earlier this week in a meeting with Iraq’s electricity minister to increase gas and electricity exports according to the bilateral agreement.
The United States, after withdrawing from the 2015 nuclear deal, imposed sanctions on Iran’s oil, gas, and petrochemical sectors.
Source: Voice of America
