IRBIL, Iraq (AP) — Drivers in Iraq's semiautonomous northern Kurdish region waited in line for hours, some overnight, to buy gasoline in recent days as a fuel crisis gripped the main city, Irbil.
Most private gas stations were shuttered Tuesday, with only a handful of government-run stations still selling fuel.
Security threats linked to the war in Iran have prompted the Dana Gas company, the biggest in northern Iraq, to reduce production at its Khor
Mor gas field, Kurdish regional government Prime Minister Masrour Barzani said in a news conference Monday. Those threats have included drone attacks.
Iran-backed Iraqi militia groups have carried out multiple drone strikes targeting American interests across the country, while the U.S. has struck back against militia bases to defend its troops.
A number of Kurdish opposition groups have also taken up arms against the Iranian authorities over the years, and some have established bases in neighboring Iraq. These bases have also come under fire.
Mediators appear to be making progress in getting the United States and Iran back to negotiations after both sides paused attacks following a period of rapidly escalating tensions. But scattered attacks by armed groups have continued.
Authorities in northern Iraq blamed the fuel shortages on the conflict.
At 6 a.m. Tuesday, few stations were still pumping, and lines of cars already stretched far enough that some drivers could no longer see the pumps they were waiting for. Many drivers cracked their windows open to ration every liter (gallon) left in their tanks, unwilling to waste fuel on air conditioning despite the blistering summer heat.
By midmorning, temperatures climbed above 45 degrees Celsius (113 degrees Fahrenheit), and men stood outside their vehicles, shirts darkening with sweat.
“We came at 11:30 p.m. last night,” said Twana Mohammed, 43, a biology teacher, who parked his car in line and went home before returning before dawn. He said he had spent four days searching for fuel.
“There’s no fuel left in my car,” he said. “It will be good if it makes it to the gas station.”
The frustration at times boiled into shouting matches as drivers abandoned single-file lines to form two or even three queues.
Barzani called for the central government in Baghdad to increase the Kurdish region’s allocation of crude oil for domestic consumption from 50,000 barrels a day to about 126,700 barrels to boost fuel supplies and help lower prices.
Abdullah Hamad, 50, a car dealer, got in line for fuel at 5 a.m. and, nearly three hours later, had still not reached the pump.
“Every five minutes we move forward a little bit, then turn the engine off, wait for five minutes, and move forward again,” he said.
Hamad said the shortage had cost people working hours.
At one of the few stations still operating, attendant Ameen Karwan, 25, said the station received 36,000 liters (7,900 gallons) of fuel that morning.
By the time he spoke, workers had served about 300 vehicles and hoped the remaining supply would be enough for another 700 to 800. For now, each family is limited to one fill-up of 40 liters (10.5 gallons) twice per week, he said.
Drivers said the shortages had worsened after regional authorities ordered lower pump prices and many private stations stopped selling fuel rather than sell at the mandated rate.
Hamad pointed to the irony of gas lines in a country rich in energy resources.
“Our country is full of oil. Our soil is full of oil,” he said. Iraq relies on oil revenues for roughly 90% of its budget.
Even before the war between the U.S. and Iran led to closures in the crucial waterway of the Strait of Hormuz, fuel was expensive in Irbil compared to Baghdad, he said. But he added, “We were even happy with the high price, as long as it’s available.”
