Iranian natural gas is reaching an Iraqi power plant though a now-completed cross-border pipeline, an Iraqi official said.

Alireza Gharibi, managing director of the Iranian Gas Engineering and Development Co., said last month water was sent through a 60-mile pipeline crossing the Iranian border into Iraq as part of an initial testing process.

An Iraqi official told Iran's semi-official Fars News Agency on condition of anonymity the pipeline was now feeding gas across the border to a gas-fed power plant in Diyala province.

"Iran's gas will be fed into al-Mansurya power plant once the pre-startup tests on the pipeline (built to transport natural gas to Iraq) are complete," the source said Sunday.

The pipeline is designed to export 176 million cubic feet of natural gas per day from Iran's offshore South Pars field. Iraq, for its part, has struggled to ensure around-the-clock electricity despite its vast natural resource wealth.

The source added the pipeline project was impeded by Iraq's natural security woes.

"We will be able to receive Iran's gas more safely due to the efforts of the (Iraqi) armed forces to get rid of the Islamic State," he added.