Iran's planned natural gas exports to Iraq have been delayed again due to the security concerns over Daesh insurgency, an Iranian official said on Saturday.
'Iran is prepared to export gas to Iraq but insecurity in Iraq and the presence of Daesh have held up the exports,' Ali-Reza Kameli, managing-director of National Iranian Gas Exports Company, was quoted as saying Iran's Shana news agency.
The two countries have not been able to start the exports since a 2013 agreement, which is aimed to provide gas for Iraq to meet up in the embattled country's electricity needs.
'If Iraq manages to remove the risks in the regions, where Iran's gas is to be delivered, Iran will start pumping gas to Iraq,' Kameli added.
Some 5 million cubic meters of Iranian gas per day will be delivered to Baghdad and Basra cities of Iraq for six years due to the deal, Shana reported.
Iran had to postpone the agreed exports a few times before as the delivery was expected to begin in May this year lastly.
Iran is negotiating with the world powers to curb its nuclear program aiming to see the sanctions over the energy-rich country to be lifted, while Iraq, another oil producing country, struggles to ensure internal security.
By Furkan Naci Top
Anadolu Agency
furkan.top@aa.com.tr