US Congressman Calls for End to Waiver for Iraq Import of Iran Gas, Electricity
Wilson’s call to end the sanctions waiver for Iraq’s import of gas and electricity from Iran follows from Trump’s Feb. 4 executive order.
WASHINGTON DC, United States (Kurdistan 24) - Rep. Joe Wilson (R, South Carolina) called on Sunday for ending the sanctions waivers that have long allowed Iraq to purchase natural gas and electricity from Iran.
Wilson posted that message on X. Significantly, his post follows after President Donald Trump issued one of his first executive orders in his new term, and Wilson’s message reinforces that order.
On Feb. 4, little more than two weeks after assuming the presidency for the second time, Trump signed a memorandum calling for a much tougher U.S. position on Iran.
The subject line of the memo spelled out its purpose: “Imposing Maximum Pressure on the Government of the Islamic Republic of Iran, Denying Iran All Paths to a Nuclear Weapon, and Countering Iran’s Malign Influence.”
The new policy toward Iran laid out by Trump stands in sharp contrast to that of the Biden administration which came into office believing that U.S. pressure on Iran was a major source of regional instability.
That view was wrong, but it took three years for the Biden administration to come to understand that and then reverse its conciliatory posture toward Tehran.
Read More: Biden: Need to Contain ‘Threat Posed by Iran’
Wilson, himself, has a significant background in national security matters. The Congressman “serves as a senior member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, where he is the Chair of the Middle East, North Africa, and Central Asia Subcommittee,” as his on-line biography explains, and he serves on the House Armed Services Committee as well.
In addition, Wilson is a founding member of the Kurdish-American Caucus in the U.S. Congress and serves as its Republican co-chair.
Rep. Wilson’s Statement on X
“Iraq buys gas and electricity from Iran due to a waiver from U.S. sanctions,” Wilson posted on X, as he noted, “The upcoming waiver is ending in just a few weeks.”
“The waiver must end permanently,” he continued, “to prevent Iraq from sending funds to the terrorist regime in Iran which it will use to attack Americans.”
Iraq buys gas and electricity from Iran due to a waiver from U.S. sanctions.
— Joe Wilson (@RepJoeWilson) February 16, 2025
The upcoming waiver is ending in just a few weeks.
The waiver must end permanently to prevent Iraq from sending funds to the terrorist regime in Iran which it will use to attack Americans.
Wilson’s statement echoes Trump’s executive order and reflects how a presidential decision can have a far-reaching effect.
In that order, Trump stated, “Iran remains the world’s leading state sponsor of terror and has aided Hezbollah, Hamas, the Houthis, the Taliban, al-Qa’ida, and other terrorist networks,” adding, “The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) is itself a designated Foreign Terrorist Organization.”
“Iran bears responsibility for the horrific Hamas massacres committed on October 7, 2023, and bears responsibility for continued Houthi attacks against the United States Navy, allied navies, and international commercial shipping in the Red Sea,” the order stated, as it explained why it was important to restrict Iran’s revenues.
In short, without access to substantial sums of money, Tehran could not afford to provide significant support to terrorist groups.
Only one part of Trump’s order mentioned Iraq specifically. It directed the Secretaries of State and Treasury “to ensure that the Iraqi financial system is not utilized by Iran for sanctions evasion.”
But the order also stated, more generally, that the officials should review the sanctions waivers and “modify or rescind” those “that provide Iran any degree of economic or financial relief.”
Thus, Wilson’s call to end the sanctions waiver for Iraq’s import of gas and electricity from Iran follows from that direction in Trump’s executive order.
It remains to be seen just what will happen, but Trump’s order, along with Wilson’s post, do serve as a warning to Baghdad that the current situation may, sooner or later, prove untenable.