TEHRAN, March 14 (Xinhua) -- A senior Iranian electricity official said Iraq would continue importing power from Iran under a bilateral agreement signed in July 2022.

Mostafa Rajabi Mashhadi, managing director of Iran's Power Generation, Transmission, and Distribution Company, also known as Tavanir, made the remarks in an interview with the Iranian Labour News Agency published on Friday. He addressed concerns about electricity exports to Iraq following a decision by the United States to revoke Baghdad's waiver to purchase electricity from Tehran.

He stated that Iraq would continue importing from Iran the remaining amount of the total 400 megawatts of electricity under a five-year contract signed in July 2022, adding that Iran would maintain power exports for the duration of the agreement.

Mashhadi stressed that following negotiations between the two countries, Iraq had agreed to promptly settle its overdue payments for power imports, adding that part of the debt was settled in recent weeks.

He stressed that Iran is continuing negotiations with Türkiye and Russia on power trade.

Washington recently rescinded a waiver that had allowed Iraq to purchase electricity from Iran, ensuring that Tehran is not allowed "any degree of economic or financial relief," as part of its "maximum pressure" campaign against Iran.

On March 9, Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia' al-Sudani held a phone conversation with U.S. National Security Advisor Mike Waltz, emphasizing coordination after Washington decided to end the waiver. During the talks, both sides stressed joint efforts to build a self-reliant Iraq, with al-Sudani reiterating Iraq's commitment to expanding economic relations with the United States.

Iraq, grappling with chronic power shortages after decades of conflict, relies on Iranian gas and electricity imports for over 40 percent of its grid supply despite its own oil wealth. The waiver had allowed Baghdad to continue energy purchases despite U.S. sanctions on Iran.

The waiver was introduced in 2018, when Washington reimposed sanctions on Tehran after U.S. President Donald Trump abandoned a nuclear deal with Iran during his first term in office. The previous waiver expired on Saturday, and the U.S. Department of State opted not to renew it.

The United States accuses Iran of seeking to develop nuclear weapons, a claim Tehran has repeatedly denied. Enditem

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