Long fuel queues reported across Iraqi cities as petrol, diesel shortages persist

BAGHDAD, Iraq — Drivers in Baghdad and several other Iraqi cities have faced long queues at state-run and private fuel stations, with shortages reported in petrol, diesel and cooking gas. In the capital, lines stretching several hundred meters formed in neighborhoods across the Karkh and Rusafa sides of the city, where motorists said waiting times ran to several hours and some stations closed after exhausting their allocated quotas. In Mosul, residents said they have been dealing with fuel queues for a second week, and complaints over poor-quality deliveries have mounted. Local oil officials moved to tighten distribution and crack down on smuggling networks by making the use of fuel cards mandatory. In Kirkuk, supplies of improved petrol have not reached stations for more than two weeks, pushing demand onto stations selling regular petrol and lengthening queues there as well. In Erbil and Duhok, the Kurdistan Regional Government's decision to lower petrol prices has been followed by a rapid depletion of commercial supply, with long lines reappearing outside stations. Economists said Iraq imports certain components used to raise the octane level of locally produced petrol and suggested that disruptions to this process could be linked to regional developments around the Strait of Hormuz. The Oil Ministry and other relevant bodies have not issued an official statement on the causes of the shortages or on any emergency supply plan.