Fuel shortages swept across Baghdad and central and southern provinces on Saturday, with dozens of filling stations shuttered and long queues of vehicles lining those still operating. Drivers sought both gasoline and gasoil, which is widely used by commercial trucks and heavy vehicles. The closures contributed to traffic congestion on multiple streets and bridges across the capital.
The disruption comes roughly two weeks after an earlier shortage in Baghdad and other provinces had eased. The Oil Ministry attributed the renewed shortages on Friday to delayed gasoline shipments, saying the conflict between Iran and the United States had disrupted tanker movements.
The ministry said the shortages reflected a structural gap between Iraq's domestic fuel production and consumption. It cited daily gasoline demand of about 33 million liters, rising to around 38 million during periods of heightened usage.
The ministry announced that new fuel shipments would arrive soon.
