The Iraqi government announced on Sunday that Iran has "completely cut off water to Iraq," hinting at turning to the international community if the situation continues. Iraqi Minister of Water Resources Mahdi Rashid Al-Hamdani stated that "the water releases from Iran have reached zero," while indicating that "solutions are being implemented to mitigate the impact of water scarcity in Diyala province" in eastern Iraq.
Iran controls the flow of water in the Sirwan, Karun, and Karkheh rivers, which supply fresh water to eastern regions of Iraq. Al-Hamdani, in a statement to Iraqi News Channel, mentioned that the water reaching Iraq from Iran "has become zero," suggesting "resorting to the international community to share the damage and secure Iraq's water quota according to international treaties."
The minister pointed out that "solutions are being taken to alleviate the damage in Diyala due to water scarcity," adding, "the water reserves are good to secure both the summer and winter plans and drinking water." Al-Hamdani continued: "We have spoken with Iran and Turkey to agree on a protocol for water sharing, but we have not received a response so far," emphasizing that "issues cannot remain unresolved regarding water releases with the neighboring countries."
The Minister of Water Resources noted that "the crisis will worsen in Diyala province if Iran continues to cut off water from the Sirwan, Karun, and Karkheh rivers."
