Iraq is suffering electricity shortages after the disruption of the supply of gas from Iran and the failure of power lines between the two states.

The crisis comes amid severe cold weather and seen hugely reduced power across Baghdad and various governorates.

Severe snowfall and gas scarcities have already plunged Iran into chaos, resulting in the shutdown of schools, flight cancellations, and office closures. According to media reports and official statements, half of Iran's provinces have either shuttered schools or shifted to remote learning due to the harsh cold weather, gas shortages, and heating facility challenges since Monday.

The Iraqi Ministry of Electricity announced the reduction in the generating units' loads, leaving an immense shortage approximately 4,000 thousand megawatts.

The interconnection lines transmitting electricity between Iraq and Iran have also ceased operations due to the cold wave.

"The Ministry is currently coordinating closely with the Ministry of Oil through an ongoing operations room to compensate it with nationally produced fuel and gas until the supplied gas is pumped again in the required quantities," stated the Iraqi Ministry of Electricity on Wednesday.

Gas shortages have escalated into a crisis in Iran in recent years, despite the country possessing one of the world’s largest gas reserves. Iranian power plants have been forced to resort to consuming mazut for months before winter to preserve gas, a practice that has exacerbated severe air pollution in major cities, as has also happened in many previous years.