Asia · Western Asia · Sovereign state
Current time in Iraq
A single time zone at UTC+03:00.
Sunday, May 31, 2026
About Iraq's time
A single time zone.
Iraq operates on a single timezone, Arabia Standard Time (UTC+3), used throughout the country, with no daylight saving time or seasonal clock changes.
Major cities
Cities of Iraq.
History
How Iraq keeps time.
Iraq has used Arabian Standard Time (UTC+3) as its standard time zone for most of the modern era. During the British Mandate period in the early 20th century, Iraq initially followed local mean time based on the longitude of Baghdad. The country adopted a standard time close to UTC+3 in the early 20th century under British administration, aligning with regional neighbors.
Iraq briefly observed daylight saving time in some years during the mid-20th century, including periods in the 1980s, though it has not maintained a consistent DST practice in recent decades. Since the early 2000s, Iraq has not observed daylight saving time, maintaining a consistent UTC+3 offset year-round.
Frequently asked questions
Common questions about Iraq's time zone, daylight saving rules, and how to handle it in software. Can't find what you need? Email [email protected].
- What is the time difference between Iraq and Coordinated Universal Time (UTC)?
- Iraq is 3 hours ahead of Coordinated Universal Time (UTC+3), meaning when it's 12:00 UTC, it's 3:00 PM in Iraq.
- Does Iraq observe daylight saving time?
- No, Iraq does not currently observe daylight saving time and maintains a consistent UTC+3 offset throughout the year.
- What is the time difference between Iraq and New York?
- Iraq is typically 8 hours ahead of New York during EST (winter) and 7 hours during EDT (summer), as Iraq does not adjust for daylight saving time while New York does.
- What is the time difference between Iraq and London?
- Iraq is typically 3 hours ahead of London during GMT (winter) and 2 hours ahead during BST (summer), as Iraq does not observe daylight saving time.
- Are there any regions in Iraq that use a different time zone?
- No, the entire country of Iraq uses the single Arabia Standard Time (UTC+3), with no regional exceptions or alternative time zones.
- What is the best time to call Iraq from Europe?
- For calls from Western Europe, the morning hours before 1:00 PM local European time generally align well with business hours in Iraq, which operates on UTC+3.
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