Iraq Ministry of Electricity

Built World

Leading grid restoration efforts

Iraq has depended on Iranian gas for roughly a third of its electricity since the mid-2010s. On the evening of March 4, 2026, a sudden drop in gas supplies to the Rumaila power plant in southern Iraq triggered a loss of 1,900 megawatts, which cascaded through the national grid and shut down power to all 18 provinces. More than 44 million people went dark, hospitals lost grid power, and communications networks faltered, all while US and Iranian missiles were crisscrossing the region around them.

Updated Mar 4