Iraq moves to centralize electricity crisis response under prime minister

BAGHDAD, Iraq — Iraq is moving to centralize decision-making on its chronic electricity crisis under the prime minister's office, as multi-billion-dollar spending and repeated pledges over the years have failed to end widespread power outages. Long-running cuts continue to disrupt daily life and have intensified pressure on the government to deliver a structural fix. Officials said partial and temporary measures have produced limited results, and that lasting reform requires coordination at the prime ministerial level. They added that oversight of the file and final decisions now rest with the prime minister. The crisis is expected to be addressed through a comprehensive review of generation, transmission and distribution infrastructure. No further details on the timeline or specific measures were immediately available.