The story: In an unusual move, Iraqi cleric Muqtada Al-Sadr has called on Baghdad to find alternatives to natural gas and electricity imports from Iran. In a statement on Jan. 13, the cleric – who usually addresses political and social rather than economic issues – claimed that the move is because Iran “refrained” from such exports. This comes as Iraq has been hit by blackouts partly due to reduced imports from Iran since Baghdad hasn’t paid the bills.

The coverage: In a Dec. 27 interview with Bloomberg, Electricity Ministry Spokesman Ahmad Moussa explained that Iraq had been receiving only about 10% of its previous daily supply...