The Biden administration has granted another 120-day waiver to allow Iraq to pay for electricity imports from Iran, a State Department official said Monday.
“The waiver ensures that Iraq is able to meet its short-term energy needs while it takes steps to reduce its dependence on Iranian energy imports,” the spokesperson told Al Arabiya English.
Washington has routinely provided sanctions waivers to Iraq since sanctions were reimposed on Iran. However, the Trump administration shortened the time period of the waivers as the US pressed Baghdad to reduce the use of Iranian energy.
The Biden administration issued the first 120-day waivers last March and then again in August.
In August, State Department Spokesman Ned Price said: “We believe that it is possible within the 120 days for the Government of Iraq to take meaningful actions to promote energy self-sufficiency and reduce its dependence on expensive Iranian energy.”
But Iraq has so far not been able to do without Iranian energy imports.