Baghdad faces US pressure over reliance on Iranian energy imports: analyst

BAGHDAD, Iraq — Baghdad faces US pressure because of its heavy dependence on Iranian electricity and natural gas imports, according to Paul Sullivan, a professor of energy security at Johns Hopkins University. Speaking in an interview, Sullivan said Iraq's reliance on Tehran for power creates a security vulnerability and leaves limited room to maneuver under US secondary sanctions on countries doing business with Iran. Sullivan also warned that the full impact of tensions around the Strait of Hormuz on global energy supply has yet to be felt. He noted that China has resumed reducing its oil demand, but that the trend is unlikely to last, while the European Union faces urgent pressure to refill its gas storage ahead of winter. He added that all of Qatar's liquefied natural gas transits the Strait of Hormuz, and that building alternative pipelines, road routes and port infrastructure would take a long time. Energy infrastructure remains exposed to both physical and cyber attacks, supply has tightened because of the Russia-Ukraine war, and El Niño conditions could push energy demand to record levels, Sullivan said.