The State Department confirmed that “the U.S. has granted a 45-day waiver to allow Iraq to pay for electricity imports from Iran”. A statement added that the exemption “ensures that Iraq is able to meet its short-term energy needs while it takes steps to reduce its dependence on Iranian energy imports”, going on to assert that “Iran has proven itself as a highly unreliable source of energy for Iraq. Reducing Iranian energy imports is therefore paramount for Iraq to achieve energy security”.