Iraqi-Iranian Oil-for- Gas Agreement Goes into Effect

An Iraqi power station. (Social media)
An Iraqi power station. (Social media)
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Iraqi-Iranian Oil-for- Gas Agreement Goes into Effect

An Iraqi power station. (Social media)
An Iraqi power station. (Social media)

Iraq’s Electricity Ministry announced the return of energy production stability following the implementation of the Iraqi-Iranian agreement regarding the exchange of Iraqi crude oil for Iranian gas.

In a statement on Friday, the ministry confirmed that energy production has stabilized again at more than 24,000 megawatts after production was raised overnight.

The ministry said an increase in the flow of natural gas from Iran to Iraq’s southern region, which was agreed upon as part of a barter deal to exchange crude oil for natural gas, has helped in this regard.

Moreover, Iraq has other stations ready for operation, which can add more power to the electricity system if gas supplies are available, the ministry added.

The Iraqi government’s agreement with Iran was reportedly discussed months ago. Baghdad hesitated in implementing for fear of Washington’s rejection given its economic sanctions on Tehran.

With Iraq grappling with a severe heatwave and temperatures nearing 50°C in some cities, especially in southern regions, public frustration grew due to perceived empty government promises that are made every year.

This prompted Prime Minister Mohammed Shia Al-Sudani to announce that an agreement had been reached with Iran.

Simultaneously with the signing of the agreement with Iran, Iraq also entered a massive deal worth over $27 billion with the French oil major TotalEnergies regarding energy, oil, and gas.

While the agreement with the French company was welcomed by Washington, the US Department of State affirmed its commitment to continue implementing all the sanctions imposed on Iran under President Joe Biden’s administration.

An anonymous spokesperson from the department stressed: “The fundamentals of our policy remain unchanged, which is that Iran can only access the revenues from Iraqi energy purchases for humanitarian and other non-sanctioned transactions.”

The spokesperson emphasized that the US firmly supports Iraq’s journey toward energy self-reliance and the government’s endeavors to enhance essential services for its people. They underscored that “any claim that US sanctions on Iran impede gas supplies to Iraq is false.”



UN Seeks $6 Billion to Ease Hunger Catastrophe in Sudan

Displaced Sudanese, who fled the Zamzam camp, gather near the town of Tawila in North Darfur on February 14, 2025. (AFP)
Displaced Sudanese, who fled the Zamzam camp, gather near the town of Tawila in North Darfur on February 14, 2025. (AFP)
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UN Seeks $6 Billion to Ease Hunger Catastrophe in Sudan

Displaced Sudanese, who fled the Zamzam camp, gather near the town of Tawila in North Darfur on February 14, 2025. (AFP)
Displaced Sudanese, who fled the Zamzam camp, gather near the town of Tawila in North Darfur on February 14, 2025. (AFP)

UN officials on Monday asked for $6 billion for Sudan this year from donors to help ease what they called the world's worst ever hunger catastrophe and the mass displacement of people brought on by civil war.

The UN appeal represents a rise of more than 40% from last year's for Sudan at a time when aid budgets around the world are under strain, partly due to a pause in funding announced by US President Donald Trump last month that has affected life-saving programs across the globe.

The UN says the funds are necessary because the impact of the 22-month war between Sudan's army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) - that has already displaced a fifth of its population and stoked severe hunger among around half its population - looks set to worsen.

World Food Program chief Cindy McCain, speaking via video to a room full of diplomats in Geneva, said: "Sudan is now the epicenter of the world's largest and most severe hunger crisis ever."

She did not provide figures, but Sudan's total population currently stands at about 48 million people. Among previous world famines, the Bengal Famine of 1943 claimed between 2 million and 3 million lives, according to several estimates, while millions are believed to have died in the Great Chinese Famine of 1959-61.

Famine conditions have been reported in at least five locations in Sudan, including displacement camps in Darfur, a UN statement said, and this was set to worsen with continued fighting and the collapse of basic services.

"This is a humanitarian crisis that is truly unprecedented in its scale and its gravity and it demands a response unprecedented in scale and intent," UN Emergency Relief Coordinator Tom Fletcher said.

One of the famine-stricken camps was attacked by the RSF last week as the group tries to tighten its grip on its Darfur stronghold.

While some aid agencies say they have received waivers from Washington to provide aid in Sudan, uncertainty remains on the extent of coverage for providing famine relief.

The UN plan aims to reach nearly 21 million people within the country, making it the most ambitious humanitarian response so far for 2025, and requires $4.2 billion - the rest being for those displaced by the conflict.