From Baghdad to the Far South .. Iraq Drowns in Darkness and the Ghost of the Energy Crisis Returns to the Fore

Iraq has plunged into complete darkness, from Baghdad to the far south, due to a total shutdown of the national electricity grid caused by a sudden malfunction in the power transmission line (400 kV) in Babil Governorate, in a scene that has brought back to the forefront one of the most chronic crises facing the country since 2003.

The Governor of Basra, Asaad Al-Eidani, explained that the malfunction affecting the vital line in Babil led to a complete halt of the network, confirming that technical teams began maintenance work immediately, and that power has started to gradually return to some areas. Al-Eidani also denied the rumors that the outage was ordered by Prime Minister Mohammed Shia' Al-Sudani, emphasizing that the Minister of Electricity is monitoring and managing the crisis efficiently.

For his part, the General Director of Southern Electricity, Gaith Najm, described the incident as a "transient technical malfunction" and that the situation is under control, while the General Director of Power Transmission in the southern region, Ali Zuhair, confirmed that four governorates have begun to witness a gradual return of electricity.

Despite the successive Iraqi governments spending billions of dollars on electricity production, transmission, and distribution projects since 2003, the national grid has remained unable to meet the increasing demand, especially during the hot summer seasons that raise consumption rates and increase pressure on the system, leading to repeated malfunctions.

Government promises to implement strategic projects, such as electrical interconnection with neighboring countries or establishing new stations and updating networks, have faced chronic obstacles, the most prominent of which are administrative and financial corruption, poor planning, and political and security tensions, in addition to the heavy reliance on imported gas affected by regional fluctuations.