Iraqis queue for fuel as regional war disrupts supplies

Drivers in Baghdad formed long lines outside fuel stations on Saturday as gasoline supplies dropped due to import disruptions caused by the Middle East war. Iraq, despite being OPEC's second-largest oil producer, imports oil derivatives because its refineries do not produce enough gasoline to meet domestic demand.

According to the oil ministry, regional events and the ongoing conflict are causing logistical challenges to tanker traffic, delaying their arrival at Iraqi ports. This has resulted in long queues reappearing every few days, mostly outside government-run fuel stations in Baghdad and other provinces.

A Baghdad resident, Ibrahim Hashem, told AFP that he waited for two hours outside a fuel station on Friday without success, and returned the next day hoping to fill his car. He expressed frustration that despite Iraq's significant oil production, it struggles to meet its daily gasoline needs, which average 33 million litres but can rise to 38 million litres when people panic over shortages.

Brief written by urgent.news from Punch Nigeria, Punch, New Straits Times, Middle East Eye — 4 reports on this story. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.