Washington ends exemption for Iranian power imports, citing 'maximum pressure' strategy on Iraq - Anadolu Ajansı

The U.S. ends a waiver allowing Iraq to buy Iranian electricity, as the Trump administration exerts pressure on Iran while claiming to be willing to negotiate with the Islamic Republic.

Iran’s foreign ministry said on Monday the decision by the United States to end a sanctions waiver that had allowed Iraq to buy electricity from Iran was “illegal”. […]

Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia’ al-Sudani on Sunday looked into ways to increase the country’s electricity production, hours after the United States rescinded a key waiver allowing Iraq to import energy from Iran.

The decision to let Iraq's waiver lapse upon its expiration "ensures we do not allow Iran any degree of economic or financial relief," the spokesperson said, adding that Trump's campaign on Iran aims "to end its nuclear threat, curtail its ballistic missile program and stop it from supporting terrorist groups."

Washington has declined to renew a sanctions waiver that allowed Iraq to buy electricity from neighbouring Iran, a spokesperson for the American embassy in Baghdad said on Sunday.

Iraq is moving urgently to mitigate the anticipated electricity deficit this summer after the US declined to renew a waiver that had allowed it to buy electricity from Iran, bypassing the sanctions. The US administration rescinded a waiver on Saturday as part of US President Donald Trump's “maximum pressure” campaign against Tehran,

The United States has stopped allowing Iraq to buy electricity from Iran, making Iraq’s power problems even worse. This decision is part of the US government’s efforts to put pressure on Iran by cutting off its sources of money.