Power poles and power lines are pictured in Basra, Iraq August 20, 2021. REUTERS/Essam al-Sudani
WASHINGTON (Reuters) -U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Tuesday signed a new national security waiver letting Iraq pay Iran for electricity that for the first time allows such payments to go to accounts at non-Iraqi banks, a U.S. official told Reuters.
The official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said the U.S. hoped the 120-day national security waiver would help stop Iran pressuring Iraq for access to the money, which previously could only be deposited into restricted accounts in Iraq.
