* Iraq cuts production by nearly 1.5 million bpd due to

Iran crisis

* China and India are major recipients of Iraqi crude

exports

* Oil ministry says output reduction won't affect

refinery operations

(Adds statement from oil ministry in paragraph 4)

By Ahmed Rasheed and Aref Mohammed

BAGHDAD/BASRA, March 3 (Reuters) - Iraq has cut oil

production by nearly 1.5 million barrels a day and those cuts

could widen to more than 3 million bpd within days as the

country runs out of storage and cannot export crude due to the

Iran crisis, two Iraqi oil officials told Reuters on Tuesday.

As of Tuesday, Iraq has cut production from the Rumaila oil

field by 700,000 bpd, from the West Qurna 2 field by 460,000 bpd

and from the Maysan field by 325,000 bpd, the officials, who did

not wish to be named, said.

That output cut could grow to over 3 million bpd if oil

tankers cannot move freely through the Strait of Hormuz and

reach loading ports, they added.

The oil ministry said later in the day that the reduction in its

crude oil production, owing to the halt in exports after the

closure of the Strait of Hormuz, would not affect operations at

its refineries, state media reported.

Iraq's refining capacity stands at around 1.1 million bpd,

according to Iraqi energy officials and oil ministry data.

Export disruptions from the Strait of Hormuz closure pushed

storage to critical levels in Iraq's southern ports, the sources

said.

Iraq produced about 4 million bpd in January.

The Maysan field was producing 650,000 bpd prior to the cut,

the officials said.

The U.S.-Israeli war with Iran has halted energy exports from

the Middle East, with Tehran attacking ships and energy

facilities, closing navigation in the Gulf and forcing

production stoppages from Qatar to Iraq.

The Strait of Hormuz was closed for a fourth day after Iran

attacked five ships, choking off a key artery accounting for

about 20% of global oil and liquefied natural gas supply.

China and India are the two biggest recipients of Iraqi

crude exports, accounting for nearly two-thirds of the OPEC

member's 3.33 million bpd average exports in 2025, according to

Kpler data, with a further 560,000 bpd going to Europe.

PetroChina and China National Offshore Oil

Corporation, which produce in Iraq, did not

immediately respond to requests for comment. BP, which holds a

stake in a joint venture operating in Iraq, said it was taking

all necessary steps to support its partners.