The United States has granted Iraq a waiver to allow it to keep importing electricity from neighbouring Iran despite renewed American sanctions on Tehran, a US official said Wednesday.
Baghdad relies heavily on Tehran to provide it natural gas and Iranian-generated electricity, and feared that supply would be endangered by Washington's measures against Iran's energy sector.
The US State Department's representative on Iran said Wednesday that Iraq had been granted a special permission.
"We granted Iraq a waiver to allow it to continue to pay for its electricity imports from Iran. We are confident that this will help Iraq limit electricity shortages in the south," Brian Hook told reporters in Washington.
"Iraq is a friend and a partner, and we are committed to its stability and prosperity."