Iraq's electricity supply has been significantly disrupted after Iran temporarily suspended natural gas exports to its power plants, the Iraqi Ministry of Electricity announced today. The emergency interruption on the Iranian side has resulted in a sharp reduction of 4,000 to 4,500 megawatts (MW) from the national grid.

Ministry spokesperson Ahmed Musa stated that Iranian authorities formally notified Iraq of the export halt, which forced the shutdown of several generating units and placed others on partial operation. The loss of capacity is directly reducing the number of hours of electricity supplied to citizens nationwide.

"In response to this sudden suspension, the Ministry of Electricity has immediately activated emergency plans," Musa said. The ministry is coordinating with the Ministry of Oil to switch affected power plants to locally available alternative fuels, a move aimed at maintaining production and mitigating the impact on consumers until Iranian gas flows resume.

Officials emphasized that, despite the substantial deficit, the overall electricity production situation remains under control, with power plants continuing to operate. They credited advance preparations for the winter season and peak demand periods—including the import and stockpiling of reserve fuel—with helping to buffer the system against the full impact of the disruption.

Iran is a crucial supplier of gas and electricity to Iraq, which has long struggled to meet its domestic power needs due to infrastructure challenges, rising demand, and recurring fuel shortages. The latest incident underscores the vulnerability of Iraq's energy sector to external supply shocks.