Iraq Confirms Complete Cessation of Iranian Gas Supplies, Resulting in 4,000-4,500 MW Generation Capacity Loss

IRAQ - The Ministry of Electricity of the Republic of Iraq officially confirmed the total interruption of natural gas supplies originating from Iran. This development produced an immediate reduction of between 4,000 and 4,500 megawatts in the national grid's available generation capacity. The suspension has directly increased the need for load-shedding and extended the duration of planned and unplanned outages across multiple governorates, with the most significant effects observed during periods of peak electricity demand. Ministry spokesperson Ahmed Mousa stated in the official announcement that "the flow of Iranian gas has stopped entirely." The interruption necessitated the complete shutdown of several generating units, while others were required to operate at substantially reduced output levels. Iraqi authorities attributed the halt to "emergency conditions" on the Iranian side, with formal prior notification provided to Baghdad. No detailed public explanation of the specific nature of these emergency conditions has been issued by Iranian governmental or energy-sector authorities. In response to the supply cessation, the Ministry of Electricity coordinated closely with the Ministry of Oil to implement emergency fuel-switching protocols. Affected power plants transitioned to domestic alternative fuels, primarily crude oil and gasoil reserves. Mousa explained that "the Iraq Electricity Ministry had switched to domestic alternative fuel in coordination with the oil ministry until gas flows resume." While these contingency measures have prevented a more widespread collapse of supply in key areas, the substitution process introduces additional operational costs, logistical demands, and potential environmental considerations during any prolonged period of implementation. Iraq maintains a structural dependence on Iranian natural gas imports, which have historically provided a critical portion of baseline thermal generation capacity - frequently constituting up to one-third or more of total supply during high-demand seasons.