Oil Minister Bijan Namdar Zanganeh says Iraq does not pay for Iranian natural gas imports.
They (Iraqis) do not pay us (Oil Ministry) any money for the gas they import, Zanganeh was quoted as saying by ILNA Sunday.
An estimated 20 million cubic meters of gas is exported to the Arab neighbor every day (worth at least $200 million per month). Nonetheless, Iraq does not settle the debts that have been piling up.
Iraqis put the blame on Irans sanctions and banking restrictions imposed by the US (started in 2018) that has almost made it impossible to transfer money through normal financial channels, Zanganeh had said earlier.
Referring to upsurge in domestic gas consumption (due to the cold weather) that has surpassed 600 mcm/d, Zanganeh said gas flow to Turkey (30 mcm/d) has not been disrupted.
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