Iraq's power grid suffered a major blackout on Wednesday, plunging the country into darkness. The government attributed the widespread outage to a technical fault, specifically a sudden drop in gas supplies to the Rumaila gas-fired power plant in Basra province. This incident has left many Iraqis without electricity, as the country has long struggled with unreliable power supply. The electricity ministry's spokesperson confirmed that the shutdown was a technical issue, causing a rapid loss of 1,900 megawatts. However, a senior source familiar with power operations claimed that electricity would return to normal within hours, despite the ongoing restoration efforts. This is not the first time Iraq has faced such challenges; in August 2025, a similar shutdown at the Hamidiya power plant led to a fault in the electricity transmission network. The country, a member of the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries and a leading oil producer, has been grappling with energy supply issues since the 2003 U.S.-led invasion. Under-investment and mismanagement have exacerbated the problem, leaving the national grid unable to meet the growing demand. The situation highlights the ongoing challenges Iraq faces in providing reliable electricity to its citizens.
