Mohammad Reza Julaei told Shana: "Natural gas exports to Iraq have decreased by 38 million cubic meters per day. This reduction has been done according to a six-month agreement with the Iraqi side and has nothing to do with their arrears to Iran, although the need to settle the debts is still on the agenda.”

He added: "Iran had announced this reduction in exports to Iraq two weeks ago and according to the agreement, this amount of export reduction will continue for up to 6 months."

According to Hassan Montazer Torbati, the NIGC CEO, Iran used to export about 40 to 45 million cubic meters of natural gas to Iraq on a daily basis, and its debts to Iran reduced natural gas exports to Iraq in December last year.

The NIGC dispatching director, however, emphasizes that although some of these debts still remain unpaid, the decrease in exports was not due to Iraq's debt to Iran and was done in accordance with the agreement with them.