Iraq says 'committed' to supplying Lebanon with fuel amid delays

Iraq has reiterated its commitment to supplying Beirut with fuel for its power plants to help mitigate a nationwide blackout after Lebanon's electricity company said its supplies were exhausted.

An Iraqi cabinet spokesperson said on Monday that a delay in sending new shipments was due to "technical" and "logistical" reasons relating to transportation and shipping.

The spokesperson stressed that a new fuel shipment would arrive in Lebanon "in the coming days".

Lebanon has not had round-the-clock power since the 1990s and cash transfers to Lebanon's state electricity company, Electricité du Liban (EDL) to cover chronic losses have contributed tens of billions of dollars to the country's huge public debt.

EDL on Saturday announced a complete nationwide power outage, including at critical facilities such as the airport.

It said the power supply would resume gradually once new fuel supplies were secured, either through a swap agreement with Iraq or other sources.

In July 2023, Iraq renewed a 2021 deal with Lebanon to supply it with 1.5 million tonnes of heavy fuel oil and two million tonnes of crude oil per year.

Lebanon provides Iraq with services, including health care, in exchange for oil supplies.