Iraq is one of the richest countries in the world with natural resources, especially oil and natural gas. This country has been subjected to a series of wars and economic blockade for many years, affecting the country's infrastructure and causing the deterioration of services provided to citizens. Perhaps one of the poorest services is the fuel produced in the refineries of the country, as the Iraqi gasoline and diesel are considered of the worst fuels on the global level. The locally produced gasoline contains high sulfur content (500ppm) in addition to a high percentage of lead compounds to increase octane. Iraqi diesel is considered the world's worst with 1 to 2.5% of its weight is sulfur. Iraqi researchers have spared no effort to find alternative fuels that give better engine performance and lower exhaust pollutants while improving fuel consumption. This paper examines some of these efforts over the past years and the various findings of Iraqi investigators results using gaseous fuels such as natural gas, liquefied petroleum gas and hydrogen, in addition to the use of some additives to gasoline and diesel, such as oxygenates and biofuels to reduce the effects of sulfur associated with these types of fuel. Researchers have gone a long way in reaching multiple types and alternative methods of operation to reduce the pollutants generated by the engines, and it remains the responsibility of decision-makers to choose the most appropriate ones.