عربي English Türkçe اردو فارسى
Logo
Latest News
Arab World

Iraq Grapples with Fuel Crisis

Iraqis crowd a Baghdad petrol station to fill up after some filling stations shut off their pumps to protest government policies on fuel. (AFP)
Iraqis crowd a Baghdad petrol station to fill up after some filling stations shut off their pumps to protest government policies on fuel. (AFP)
TT
TT

Iraq Grapples with Fuel Crisis

Iraqis crowd a Baghdad petrol station to fill up after some filling stations shut off their pumps to protest government policies on fuel. (AFP)
Iraqis crowd a Baghdad petrol station to fill up after some filling stations shut off their pumps to protest government policies on fuel. (AFP)

Motorists in Iraq formed long queues for fuel Thursday after some owners of filling stations shut off their pumps to protest government policies on fuel distribution and pricing.

Some government-run fuel stations have been ordered to operate around the clock to meet demand, the official news agency INA reported.

Dozens of vehicles were lined up at stations that remained open.

Some owners of petrol stations have denounced the method of fuel distribution imposed by the authorities, complaining they end up paying more for the quantity of fuel they receive from the government than what they say it is worth.

Iraq is the second largest producer in the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC), and oil provides more than 90 percent of its income.

But the country, with a population of about 41 million, is also grappling with a major energy crisis and regular power cuts.

In recent days, private stations had already suspended their activities in the southern city of Najaf, according to INA.

The government has played down the problem, saying it is limited to "certain stations" in the capital Baghdad and the central and southern provinces, said Ihsan Mussa Ghanem, deputy head of the Iraqi agency in charge of distributing petroleum products.

In a statement, his agency said the owners of the closed stations were "manufacturing crises and obstructing the distribution of gasoline to citizens".

Owners do not have the right to stop supplies, it said, and "inspection committees will identify all stations that contravene instructions."

Those that have shut their pumps face having their licenses suspended and supplies of oil stopped, the statement said.

Moreover, officials at the Oil Ministry have accused owners of gas stations of smuggling oil to Kurdistan and outside the country. Fuel is sold at a higher price in Kurdistan.

General Manage of the Oil Products Distribution Company, Ihsan Moussa, blamed the owners for sparking the crisis because of their failure to apply the law.

The stations that shut are now accused of smuggling oil, he added, saying they have been caught in the act.

He noted that oil has been smuggled to Kurdistan, Syria and Lebanon.

This is not a real fuel crisis, but one that has been caused by illegal activity, he remarked.

Seven million liters of fuel are being smuggled every day, out of a total of 30 million that is produced daily, he revealed.

Most Viewed

 
 
Arab World

Aoun Wants Formation of ‘Consensual’ Lebanese Govt Representing All Components

Lebanese President Joseph Aoun.
Lebanese President Joseph Aoun.
TT
TT

Aoun Wants Formation of ‘Consensual’ Lebanese Govt Representing All Components

Lebanese President Joseph Aoun.
Lebanese President Joseph Aoun.

Lebanese President Joseph Aoun is advocating the formation of a government of “consensus” that includes representatives from all political factions.

Meanwhile, Prime Minister-designate Nawaf Salam has requested that parliamentary blocs submit non-partisan nominees for ministerial positions, emphasizing that they must not belong to any political party.

Aoun stressed on Tuesday that all components of society have the right to be represented in the government, parliament and public administration, as this is already practiced in the army.

“We have significant opportunities that we hope to seize by uniting all elements of Lebanese society—civil, spiritual, and political. Together, we can rebuild our nation,” he declared.

Highlighting the importance of meeting international expectations, Aoun hoped for the rapid formation of a government to achieve political, economic, and security stability, which would allow citizens “to live with dignity, not merely in relative comfort.”

During meetings with professional delegations at the Presidential Palace, Aoun said: “We are at a crossroads. Either we take advantage of the current circumstances and rise above sectarian, religious, and political divisions, or we head in a different direction and bear full responsibility for failing to fulfill our duties.”

Negotiations between Aoun, Salam, and political factions over the formation of a government are ongoing. The discussions, which kicked off last week, have reportedly made progress, with efforts directed toward expediting the government formation process, issuing decrees, preparing a ministerial statement, and securing its vote of confidence from lawmakers.

While the Shiite duo of Hezbollah and the Amal Movement appear to have finalized their proposed nominees for the government, disagreements over the ministerial statement remain.

MP Waddah Sadek, who is backed by the opposition, firmly rejected the inclusion of the “Army, People, Resistance” term in the statement. He declared: “No ‘blocking third’ in the government, and no unconstitutional gimmicks. The slogan of the new phase in Lebanon should be: the ‘Army, People, and State.’”

The Kataeb Party echoed this stance, stressing that Lebanon, emerging from a devastating war between Hezbollah and Israel, must align with the Aoun’s inaugural speech and Salam’s remarks by ensuring the ministerial statement exclusively underscores the state’s monopoly over arms and the defense of the nation.

“The government must act decisively, dismantle militias, strictly enforce the ceasefire, and uphold its provisions across all Lebanese territory,” it demanded.

The Kataeb Party also urged Aoun and Salam to resist the “great extortion” by Hezbollah and Amal to secure specific ministries or positions, in violation of the inaugural speech, calling instead for the application of uniform standards to ensure the government’s success.

Meanwhile, Hezbollah adopted a more confrontational tone.

MP Hussein Hajj Hassan, a member of Hezbollah’s parliamentary bloc, commented: “To those betting on Hezbollah’s weakness or the weakness of the Hezbollah-Amal alliance, what will you say when the government is formed? What will you say when you realize the strength of Hezbollah, the alliance, and the resistance’s supporters across all segments of Lebanese society? What will you say when you see the unwavering determination and unity of the resistance at every critical juncture?”