US gives Iraq one more month to wean itself off of Iranian oil

The US has again granted Iraq only a month-long sanctions waiver enabling the government to continue importing gas and electricity from Iran, two Iraqi officials say.

The issuance of another 30-day waiver was communicated to the Iraqi government in a phone call from the US State Department, without a formal notification in writing, the two Iraqi officials say, speaking on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak to the media.

The latest exemption is the second time the US has issued a relatively small window of time for Iraq to prove it is making progress in becoming less reliant on Iranian imports, a key condition to qualify for the waiver. Earlier, a 30-day waiver was granted for March and it expired on Sunday. Previous waivers had lasted three to four months.

Iraq depends on Iranian energy imports to meet one third of its energy needs, especially during the scorching summer months.

— AP