Football Federation President Unveils a Method; Government Pays Electricity Export Revenues to Iraq in Rials to Power Plants

The President of the Football Federation referred to his recent meeting with Amir-Abdollahian regarding the method of returning currency to the country by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs concerning the debts of power plants from Iraq and expressed hope that they could receive the Football Federation's claims from FIFA in the same way. Mehdi Taj stated about this meeting: "The Foreign Minister provided an explanation for the transfer of money, and I hope he sees us in the matter of collecting debts like a power plant." Taj emphasized that the Football Federation's concern is about money and that it cannot receive its funds from FIFA. According to the President of the Football Federation of the Islamic Republic, Hossein Amir-Abdollahian stated that "all sanctions for transferring money are still in place." In a meeting held yesterday with the presence of the heads of various sports federations with Amir-Abdollahian, the President of the Football Federation requested that the Foreign Minister look at football like the power plants, which the government pays their export revenues to Iraq in rials and then settles accounts with the Iraqi side, and apply this method with FIFA as well. In recent months, the issue of Iraq's debts to Iran for the export of electricity and gas has been repeatedly raised. The President of the Football Federation of Iran said: "Power plants are currently selling electricity to Iraq, and the government pays them in rials here, and then it goes to receive the desired currency from Iraq at the specified time. We also said that you should pay us the debt we have from FIFA in rials, and then you can receive that currency from FIFA yourself." A senior official from the Iraqi Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced on June 9 that Baghdad agreed to pay $2.76 billion in debts for gas and electricity to Iran. Now, according to Mehdi Taj's statements, it has become clear that these debts were previously paid by the government in rials to the power plants. Previously, a spokesperson for the U.S. State Department, in response to a question from a Voice of America reporter regarding the Islamic Republic's access to financial resources abroad, said: "Iran can only access funds held in Iraqi accounts for humanitarian and non-sanctioned transactions." According to Voice of America, Matthew Miller explained the reasons for this action, stating: "These are actions that have been taken for several years and relate to the previous government, in which the United States continuously approved similar transactions in accordance with U.S. laws and in full coordination with the Iraqi government." In recent months, we have witnessed the expansion of the oil-for-goods and food policy in Iran in the form of "barter," the latest of which was mentioned by the Iranian Minister of Oil on June 21, stating that the settlement with Venezuela is done through "bartering oil for processed shipments" received from this country's refineries. Javad Owji also emphasized barter with Cuba, stating that good actions have been taken in Cuba through bartering oil for medicines such as vaccines, equipment, and medicines of interest to the Ministry of Health. On July 24, news about bartering oil for tea between Iran and Sri Lanka was published, and the spokesperson for the Union of Exporters of Oil, Gas, and Petrochemical Products of Iran stated in this regard: "Sri Lanka has owed Iran for a long time, and it is better for this issue to be resolved as soon as possible." Confirmation of the news "permission for Iran to access part of the blocked funds in Iraq" Iraq agreed to pay about $3 billion of its debt to Iran "Iraq's objection to the reduction of gas exports from Iran; the Islamic Republic says there is a technical reason" Obtaining meat and chicken through "barter"; an economist: Iran's economy is "mafia-like" The Minister of Oil confirmed: Iran's sale of oil and gas to Iraq in exchange for receiving food and medicine The collection of Iraq's $11 billion debt to Iran is shrouded in ambiguity.