Iraq Oil Ministry Says Gasoline Shortage to Ease Next Week

BAGHDAD, Iraq — Iraq's Oil Ministry announced Tuesday that a nationwide gasoline shortage will ease by next week, with fuel shipments reaching consumers within hours. The ministry said the supply crunch stems from the shutdown of a major production unit at the Shuaiba Refinery in Basra. Foreign operating teams had departed the region due to security concerns, compounding a global energy crisis deepened by the closure of the Strait of Hormuz following regional conflict, according to the ministry. The closure has limited Iraq's ability to import additional gasoline from abroad, officials said. The ministry added that it is working to secure high-octane gasoline shipments from neighboring countries, expected to arrive next week. Some state-owned fuel stations have been ordered to operate around the clock to serve citizens until supplies normalize.