The United States has renewed a sanctions waiver that allows Iraq to buy gas from Iran, a State Department official said on Thursday, even as Washington teased new sanctions on Tehran.
The State Department said that it believes that Iraq can take “meaningful actions” to reduce its dependence on Iranian energy despite Washington saying this was key to renewing the waiver repeatedly over the last nearly two years.
US Special Envoy for Iran Elliott Abrams said that the US would be announcing sanctions on several Iranian officials and entities later on Thursday. He said that these figures would include the judges who recently sentenced prominent Iranian wrestler Navid Afkari to death. Mr Abrams added that he thinks Iran will return to the negotiating table after the November 3 election.
The gas exemption is crucial to keep Iraq’s dilapidated and corruption-ridden electricity sector afloat. For over a year it has posed a dilemma for US policymakers who have ramped up sanctions on Iran but held off from extending the sanctions into neighbouring Iraq in a way that substantially harms their allies in Baghdad.
The 60-day waiver will allow Baghdad to continue importing gas from Iran, which supplies Iraq with the equivalent of one-third of its electricity needs. Iraq suffers crippling power cuts and imports electricity and gas from Iran to boost production.
The US blacklisted Iran's energy sector in late 2018 but has since granted its ally Baghdad a series of waivers, without which the country’s power crisis would deepen sharply.
Mudher Salih, a veteran Iraqi economist who advises the government, said in May that the electricity sector costs the treasury about $10 billion (Dh36.73bn) a year to run but generates only 7 per cent of its operating costs in revenue.
Official data show its generation capacity at 16,000 megawatts, compared with the 24,000 to 30,000 megawatts needed to satisfy demand.
In May, Washington granted Iraq a four-month extension, in implicit backing of the new government of Mustafa Al Kadhimi, a former intelligence chief who is well-connected in the US.
Washington has pressured Iraq, with little success, to use the waivers to abandon its power sector reliance on Iran. On a visit to Washington in August, Mr Al Kadhimi met with US energy firms frustrated by a lack of progress in the Iraqi market.
Racecard
6.35pm: American Business Council – Maiden (PA) Dh80,000 (Dirt) 1,600m
7.10pm: British Business Group – Maiden (TB) Dh82,500 (D) 1,200m
7.45pm: CCI France UAE – Handicap (TB) Dh87,500 (D) 1,400m
8.20pm: Czech Business Council – Rated Conditions (TB) Dh105,000 (D) 1,400m
8.55pm: Netherlands Business Council – Rated Conditions (TB) Dh95,000 (D) 1,600m
9.30pm: Indian Business and Professional Council – Handicap (TB) Dh95,000 (D) 1,200m
UK’s AI plan
- AI ambassadors such as MIT economist Simon Johnson, Monzo cofounder Tom Blomfield and Google DeepMind’s Raia Hadsell
- £10bn AI growth zone in South Wales to create 5,000 jobs
- £100m of government support for startups building AI hardware products
- £250m to train new AI models
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Martin Sabbagh profile
Job: CEO JCDecaux Middle East
In the role: Since January 2015
Lives: In the UAE
Background: M&A, investment banking
Studied: Corporate finance
RESULTS
6.30pm Al Maktoum Challenge Round-1 Group One (PA) US$65,000 (Dirt) 1,600m
Winner RB Money To Burn, Fabrice Veron (jockey), Eric Lemartinel (trainer).
7.05pm Handicap (TB) $175,000 (Turf) 1,200m
Winner Ekhtiyaar, Jim Crowley, Doug Watson.
7.40pm UAE 2000 Guineas Trial Conditions (TB) $100,000 (D) 1,600m
Winner Commanding, Richard Mullen, Satish Seemar.
8.15pm Singspiel Stakes Group Two (TB) $250,000 (T) 1,800m
Winner Benbatl, Christophe Soumillon, Saeed bin Suroor.
8.50pm Handicap (TB) $135,000 (T) 1,600m
Winner Zakouski, William Buick, Charlie Appleby.
9.25pm Al Maktoum Challenge Round-1 Group Two (TB) $350,000 (D) 1,600m
Winner Kimbear, Pat Dobbs, Doug Watson.
10pm Dubai Trophy Conditions (TB) $100,000 (T) 1,200m
Winner Platinum Star, Christophe Soumillon, Saeed bin Suroor.
10.35pm Handicap (TB) $135,000 (T) 1,600m
Winner Key Victory, James Doyle, Charlie Appleby.
The specs
Engine: 4.0-litre V8
Power: 503hp at 6,000rpm
Torque: 685Nm at 2,000rpm
Transmission: 8-speed auto
Price: from Dh850,000
On sale: now
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Lexus LX700h specs
Engine: 3.4-litre twin-turbo V6 plus supplementary electric motor
Power: 464hp at 5,200rpm
Torque: 790Nm from 2,000-3,600rpm
Transmission: 10-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 11.7L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh590,000
Skoda Superb Specs
Engine: 2-litre TSI petrol
Power: 190hp
Torque: 320Nm
Price: From Dh147,000
Available: Now
RACECARD
6pm Emaar Dubai Sprint – Conditions (TB) $60,000 (Turf) 1,200m
6.35pm Graduate Stakes – Conditions (TB) $100,000 (Dirt) 1,600m
7.10pm Al Khail Trophy – Listed (TB) $100,000 (T) 2,810m
7.45pm UAE 1000 Guineas – Listed (TB) $150,000 (D) 1,600m
8.20pm Zabeel Turf – Listed (TB) $100,000 (T) 2,000m
8.55pm Downtown Dubai Cup – Rated Conditions (TB) $80,000 (D) 1,400m
9.30pm Zabeel Mile – Group 2 (TB) $180,000 (T) 1,600m
10.05pm Dubai Sprint – Listed (TB) $100,000 (T) 1,200m
'The Batman'
Stars:Robert Pattinson
Director:Matt Reeves
Rating: 5/5
