Baghdad: Iranian Deputy Oil Minister Saeed Tavakoli has indicated that Iraq may receive temporary permits to import Iranian gas.

According to National Iraqi News Agency, this development comes amidst ongoing discussions about the exemption from US sanctions on Iranian gas imports, which is set to expire on March 8.

Mehr News Agency reported that a spokesperson for the Iraqi Ministry of Electricity recently highlighted the looming end of the exemption. Despite this, the Ministry of Electricity has not yet received any formal notification from the United States about halting Iranian gas imports. There is potential for the Iraqi government to secure a new exemption, and contingency plans are in place if the exemption is not renewed.

In a conversation with Mehr News Agency about the potential ban on Iran's gas exports to Iraq, Saeed Tavakoli, who also serves as the CEO of the National Iranian Gas Company, expressed confidence that Iraq would once again obtain temporary permits to continue importing gas. He emphasized that this has been a common practice, suggesting that exceptions will likely be made.

Tavakoli also discussed his recent visit to Turkmenistan, where steps have been initiated to facilitate gas exchanges. He anticipates that these efforts may yield results in the near future. The discussions primarily focus on gas exchange operations, but there is also a possibility of purchasing gas from Turkmenistan after further studies.

Additionally, Tavakoli mentioned the ongoing gas imports from Armenia, which occur through a gas-for-electricity exchange program.