Iranian gas supply to Iraq stops after South Pars gas facilities attack

ISTANBUL

Iraq’s Electricity Ministry said Wednesday that Iranian gas flows have stopped following developments in the region, significantly reducing power generation and taking about 3,100 megawatts offline.

The disruption came after Iranian media reported that several facilities linked to the South Pars gas field in the Assaluyeh energy zone on Iran’s southern Gulf coast were targeted Wednesday with missile attacks.

Iran holds 43 gas fields, with South Pars the most significant. It is the world’s largest natural gas field, and it is shared with Qatar, where it is known as the North Field.

The development comes amid global concerns that Iranian energy infrastructure could be targeted by US or Israeli strikes during the war, now in its third week, potentially causing major economic and environmental damage across the region.

The Iraqi News Agency (INA) quoted Electricity Ministry spokesperson Ahmad Moussa, who said that “as a result of developments in the region, Iranian gas flows to Iraq stopped completely about an hour ago, causing roughly 3,100 megawatts to go offline.”

Moussa said authorities had directed increased coordination with the Oil Ministry to compensate for the lost gas using alternative fuels and domestic gas supplies.

“The loss of 3,100 megawatts will certainly affect the power system. We had been preparing well to ensure our stations were ready ahead of peak (summer) demand,” he added.

Iraq relies heavily on Iranian gas to operate power plants, particularly in the south, leaving the country vulnerable to disruptions in supply.

Iran supplies Iraq with 50 million cubic meters of gas per day, covering roughly one-third of the country’s needs and generating 6,000 megawatts of electricity daily.

The US and Israel have continued a joint offensive on Iran since Feb. 28, killing so far around 1,300 people, including then-Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei.

Iran has retaliated with drone and missile strikes targeting Israel, Jordan, Iraq and Gulf countries hosting US military assets, causing casualties and damage to infrastructure while disrupting global markets and aviation.

*Writing by Mohammad Sio in Istanbul