Revealing its role, Washington: The Baghdad-Kurdistan agreement will enhance regional energy security.

US Secretary of State Mike Rubio revealed on Thursday Washington’s role in the Baghdad-Kurdistan Region agreement to resume oil exports, stressing that it will enhance “regional security.”

“We welcome the announcement that the Government of Iraq has reached an agreement with the Kurdistan Regional Government and international companies to reopen the Iraq-Turkey pipeline, an agreement facilitated by the United States that will deliver tangible benefits to Americans and Iraqis alike,” Rubio said in a press statement.

He added, “We commend the decisive efforts of Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani and senior Iraqi government officials, as well as Kurdistan Regional Government Prime Minister Masrour Barzani and senior KRG officials, to achieve this progress.”

He continued, “This agreement will strengthen the mutually beneficial economic partnership between the United States and Iraq, encourage a more stable investment environment across Iraq for American companies, enhance regional energy security, and strengthen Iraqi sovereignty.”

Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani announced Thursday evening that he had reached an oil agreement with the Kurdistan Region, describing it as “historic.” The federal Ministry of Oil indicated that the agreement is the result of ongoing efforts over the past months to establish clear mechanisms to ensure smooth export flows and transparency in revenues .

It’s worth noting that the Kurdistan Regional Government’s Ministry of Natural Resources, the Iraqi Ministry of Oil, and oil companies signed a tripartite agreement last Monday, paving the way for the resumption of the export of Kurdistan Region oil via the Ceyhan pipeline.

Kurdistan Region oil exports were halted on March 25, 2023, following an international arbitration ruling requiring Turkey not to allow the region’s oil exports without the approval of the federal government in Baghdad .

Since then, shipments of an estimated 450,000 barrels per day have been disrupted, including 400,000 barrels from the Kurdistan Region and 50,000 from the northern Kirkuk fields. This disruption has resulted in daily financial losses exceeding $30 million, according to unofficial estimates.

Shafaq.com

US Secretary of Defense summons hundreds of generals for ‘urgent’ meeting

US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth has summoned hundreds of generals and admirals to an emergency meeting next week in Virginia, without announcing a clear reason.

The meeting comes after a series of dismissals of senior military leaders this year under President Donald Trump’s administration, sparking concern and confusion, according to the Washington Post .

Citing informed sources, the newspaper reported that the directive for the meeting, which will be held at a base in Quantico, Virginia, next week, was issued this week and included nearly all senior military leaders worldwide. The directive comes amid fears of a potential government shutdown and after the Department of Defense announced a broad restructuring plan for senior leadership.

Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell confirmed to the newspaper that Hegseth “will address senior military leaders early next week,” without providing any further details. He explained that the meeting will be held next Tuesday at Quantico.

The newspaper explained that the number of generals and admirals in the US Army is approximately 800, distributed between the United States and other deployment areas around the world. The new order includes all officers with the rank of brigadier general or above, or their equivalent in the Navy, who hold command positions, along with senior advisors from the non-commissioned ranks.

The Washington Post noted that those invited to the meeting include commanders in conflict zones and senior military commanders in Europe, the Middle East, and the Asia-Pacific region, while clarifying that the invitation does not include officers serving in administrative positions.

Shafaq.com

Kurdistan’s oil exports to Türkiye resumed starting tomorrow morning, Saturday.

An oil source at the North Oil Company revealed on Friday that crude oil exports from the Kurdistan Region to Türkiye will resume tomorrow morning, Saturday, after exports were halted in March 2023.

The source told Shafaq News Agency, “Pumping operations through the Kirkuk-Ceyhan pipeline will resume on Saturday morning, following technical and administrative understandings between the federal Ministry of Oil, the Kurdistan Regional Government, and the Turkish side.”

He added, “The resumption follows a series of intensive negotiations over the past few weeks, involving representatives of the federal government in Baghdad and the Kurdistan Region, as well as operating companies operating in the region.”

The source pointed out that “the previous halt in Kurdistan’s oil exports incurred significant financial losses for Iraq and impacted the regional government’s revenues, at a time when Iraq is experiencing a financial crisis and pressures on the federal budget.”

He stressed that “resuming pumping would boost revenues and contribute to stabilizing domestic markets.”

The Kurdistan Region was pumping about 500,000 barrels per day before exports halted in March 2023, following a court ruling requiring Türkiye to pay $1.5 billion to Baghdad, prompting Ankara to halt use of the crude pipeline.

Last July, the region agreed to hand over its oil to the Iraqi State Oil Marketing Organization (SOMO) for international sale, in a move to defuse the protracted dispute over oil revenues.

On Thursday, Iraqi Foreign Minister Fuad Hussein said that the country had incurred losses ranging between $22 and $25 billion due to the halt in oil exports from the Kurdistan Region, and that flows were likely to resume this week.

This figure represents an increase from previous estimates of losses of $19 billion as of last February.

This comes at a time when the region and most of the operating oil companies have signed an agreement to resume exports. However, the agreement still requires official approval from the federal government in Baghdad, according to a statement from the regional government’s Ministry of Natural Resources.

The resumption of pumping through the pipeline linking Kurdistan and Turkey is expected to result in an initial flow of approximately 230,000 barrels per day to global markets, amid concerns of an oil glut due to increased production by the OPEC+ alliance.

The Kirkuk-Ceyhan pipeline, which extends from northern Iraq to the Turkish port of Ceyhan on the Mediterranean, is the main artery for transporting crude oil from fields in the Kurdistan Region and the northern provinces to global markets.

Shafaq.com

Has Trump abandoned Iraq? Harris to Shafaq News: Its position is pivotal, and we are awaiting five guarantees from Baghdad.

The US Chargé d’Affaires in Baghdad, Joshua Harris, asserted that Iraq remains central to US policy, downplaying talk of Baghdad’s regression to the margins under President Donald Trump, as some observers have suggested.

In an exclusive interview with Shafaq News Agency, to be published later, Harris said, “The United States of America, under President Trump’s leadership, puts America’s interests first, and this is an effective principle that is applied here and around the world.”

Since the beginning of Trump’s second term, the US administration has not appointed a new ambassador to Baghdad, a move politicians and research centers have viewed as a sign of declining US interest in Iraq, increasingly tied to the Iranian issue or any potential deals related to the nuclear agreement.

But Harris stressed in the interview that “Washington is focused on its own interests and protecting Iraq’s interests simultaneously.”

He added that the administration is working with a “team of professionals” focused on making America “more secure, stronger, and more prosperous,” explaining that this vision is reflected in bilateral partnerships that “meet the needs of both countries, the United States and Iraq.”

Harris also noted that Washington wants to see an Iraq that is “future-oriented, sovereign, secure within its borders, a fundamental contributor to regional stability, and more prosperous through development and economic participation.”

The current US position comes at a particularly sensitive time, as Iraq lies in the midst of a tense region, coinciding with the withdrawal of coalition combat forces and the ongoing debate over the balance of its regional and international relations.

Since the fall of the former Iraqi regime in 2003 through a Western coalition led by Washington, Iraq has remained a key issue in American policy, whether under Bush, Obama, or Biden.

Successive US administrations’ interest in the Iraq file has been divided around several tracks. The Bush Jr. administration (2003-2008) dealt with Iraq through a large-scale military presence, along with attempts to rebuild the political system.

While the Obama administration (2009-2016) adopted the option of a complete withdrawal in 2011, which led to a security vacuum that ISIS exploited to expand, forcing Washington to return militarily as part of the international coalition in 2014.

The Biden administration (2021-2024), for its part, focused on reducing the direct combat presence and limiting itself to an advisory and training mission, within the framework of understandings with Baghdad, but it remained cautious regarding Iranian influence.

Shafaq.com

Economic Council: Iraq Investment Forum to showcase ready-made investment opportunities

The Iraqi Economic Council confirmed, on Friday, that more than 150 investment opportunities in various sectors will be presented during the Iraq Investment Forum, which will be held in the capital, Baghdad, on September 27 and 28, 2025. The head of the council, Ibrahim Al-Baghdadi, told the official agency, “The forum will constitute an important event to showcase ready-made investment opportunities, as Iraq is considered a fertile ground for investment in many fields, as it enjoys an important geographical location. It is considered an important link for international transportation routes and a promising virgin land rich in opportunities that represent investment projects with sustainable development dimensions, due to its natural resources and qualified human resources.”

He added that “the conference is an effective platform for showcasing investment opportunities for various economic sectors provided by the National Investment Commission, a number of ministries and investment bodies in the governorates, and the private sector.” He explained that “the forum’s agenda will include, over two days, key themes and dialogue sessions to highlight supportive measures and decisions that enhance the investment environment and promising projects, and the role that Iraq plays regionally and globally in the energy, industry, agriculture, trade, and transportation sectors, in support of the government’s strategic vision in the process of advancing the country through sustainable development projects.”

He also explained that “the forum will address a number of important issues, including the Strategic Development Road project and new residential city projects that will provide more than 150,000 housing units, in addition to more than 150 investment opportunities in various economic sectors.”

He explained that “the sectors that will showcase their investment opportunities include oil and gas, renewable energy, transportation, heavy and medium industries, housing and real estate development, agriculture and livestock production, health and pharmaceutical industries, food industries, tourism and hotels, education and scientific research, in addition to communications and information technology, and industries in free zones.”

He also noted that “the forum will provide ample opportunities for companies and businessmen to meet with global and regional banks and financing funds, and to hold direct bilateral meetings with ministries and investment bodies in Iraq, in addition to presenting economic and investment meetings of regional and international interest.”

Burathanews.com

Masrour Barzani: The oil agreement with Baghdad will return Kurdistan to global energy markets.

Kurdistan Regional Government Prime Minister Masrour Barzani affirmed on Thursday (September 25, 2025) that the agreement reached with the federal government on the oil file represents a “historic step” that ends years of dispute and restores the region’s direct connection to global markets.

Barzani said in a post on the X platform that the agreement was the result of joint efforts by delegations from all parties, adding: “I would like to commend the efforts of all parties, especially the resilient people of Kurdistan. On this historic day, a major obstacle to securing the financial dues of the people was removed. With the resumption of the region’s oil exports, we emphasize the need to fulfill all constitutional rights of the region.”

The KRG Prime Minister noted that the agreement opens the door to securing financial dues and ensuring the equitable distribution of wealth, thereby enhancing the stability of Iraq in general and the region in particular.

Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani announced earlier today that a “historic” agreement had been reached between Baghdad and Erbil, whereby the federal Ministry of Oil would receive all crude oil produced in the region and export it via the Iraq-Turkey pipeline. Al-Sudani explained that the agreement includes “the fair distribution of wealth, diversification of export outlets, and investment encouragement,” describing it as an achievement Iraq has awaited for eighteen years.

Burathanews.com

Netanyahu: We will deter militias in Iraq

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu threatened on Friday to eliminate the leaders of “militias in Iraq” if Israel is attacked, stating that Tel Aviv has succeeded in deterring these “militias .”

Netanyahu said in his speech before the UN General Assembly, “We have eliminated the Assad regime in Syria, we have deterred the militias in Iraq, and if their leaders attack Israel, we will eliminate them as well .”

Netanyahu’s remarks included references to Israel’s ability to resolve wars in the region, noting that “a war with Iran will go down in history,” and that the goal of its nuclear program, which Israel targeted, was not only a threat to Israel but also to the United States .

Delegations from Arab and Islamic countries left the UN General Assembly hall before Netanyahu’s speech began .

Netanyahu announced before leaving for New York on Thursday that he had agreed with US President Donald Trump on the necessity of completing the war’s objectives in Gaza, explaining that “the war objectives that I agree with Trump on are the return of all hostages, the defeat of Hamas, and the expansion of the circle of peace,” he said .

In this context, US Special Envoy Steve Witkoff announced that the Trump administration presented a 21-point peace plan to end the war in the Gaza Strip to Arab and Islamic leaders during a meeting at the UN General Assembly on Tuesday .

During his participation in the Concordia Summit in New York, Witkoff explained that the meeting with Arab and Muslim leaders was “very fruitful,” expressing his confidence in achieving “a breakthrough in the coming days,” without going into details of the plan .

He pointed out that the “Trump Plan for Peace in the Middle East and Gaza” addresses both Israeli concerns and the concerns of the region’s neighbors, expressing his optimism about the possibility of announcing tangible progress soon .

For their part, the leaders of the Arab and Islamic countries participating in the joint meeting with Trump emphasized the need to end the war in Gaza as “the first step toward peace .”

According to the American website Axios, during the meeting, Trump and Witkoff presented a “plan” for ending the war and managing the post-Hamas phase, while Trump emphasized that the continuation of the war exacerbates Israel’s international isolation .

Shafaq.com

Kurdistan: Resumption of oil exports will begin within the next 48 hours.

The Kurdistan Regional Government’s Ministry of Natural Resources announced on Thursday that the region’s oil exports will resume within the next 48 hours.

The ministry said in a statement received by Shafaq News Agency, “Following the tripartite agreement between the ministry, the federal Ministry of Oil, and the region’s oil production companies, the export process is scheduled to begin within the next 48 hours.”

She added, “The agreement paves the way for a more equitable distribution of oil wealth, strengthens cooperation with Baghdad, and ensures continued flow through approved official ports.”

Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani announced Thursday evening that he had reached an oil agreement with the Kurdistan Region, describing it as “historic.” The federal Ministry of Oil indicated that this agreement is the result of ongoing efforts over the past months to establish clear mechanisms to ensure smooth export flows and transparency in revenues.

Al-Sudani stated in a post on the “X” platform, followed by Shafaq News Agency, “Today, we reached a historic agreement under which the federal Ministry of Oil will receive crude oil produced from fields located in the Kurdistan Region and export it via the Iraq-Turkey pipeline.”

He considered that “this ensures the equitable distribution of wealth, diversifies export outlets, and encourages investment,” concluding his post by saying, “This is an achievement we have waited 18 years for.”

In turn, the Iraqi Ministry of Oil announced in a statement received by the agency that an agreement had been reached stipulating the commencement of pumping and delivering all crude oil produced from fields located in the Kurdistan Region – except for the quantities allocated for local consumption – to the State Oil Marketing Organization (SOMO), within Iraq, so that the company will export it via the Iraqi-Turkish pipeline via the Turkish port of Ceyhan, in accordance with approved fundamental procedures, the constitution, the provisions of the Federal General Budget Law, and Federal Court decisions.

According to the ministry, “This agreement is the result of intensive efforts and ongoing discussions over the past months, stemming from a shared national vision aimed at strengthening Iraq’s role as a major player in the global energy market, preserving Iraq’s sovereignty, and rigorously defending its national interests and the rights of all Iraqis.”

She explained that “the agreement includes establishing clear technical and regulatory mechanisms to ensure smooth export flow and transparency in oil revenues, which will contribute to strengthening the state’s public finances and increasing federal budget revenues. This will positively impact the government’s ability to implement service and development projects and provide the foundations for economic stability for Iraq and its people from north to south and from east to west.”

Shafaq.com

Al-Sudani points to a historic agreement with the Kurdistan Region: We waited 18 years for it.

Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani announced Thursday evening that he had reached what he described as a “historic” oil agreement with the Kurdistan Region.

Al-Sudani stated in a post on the “X” platform, followed by Shafaq News Agency, “Today, we reached a historic agreement under which the federal Ministry of Oil will receive crude oil produced from fields located in the Kurdistan Region and export it via the Iraq-Turkey pipeline.”

He considered that “this ensures the equitable distribution of wealth, diversifies export outlets, and encourages investment,” concluding his post by saying, “This is an achievement we have waited 18 years for.”

The Kurdistan Regional Government’s Ministry of Natural Resources, the Iraqi Ministry of Oil, and oil companies signed a tripartite agreement last Monday, paving the way for the resumption of the export of Kurdistan Region oil through the Ceyhan pipeline.

According to sources who spoke to Shafaq News Agency at the time, pumping operations are expected to resume within the next two days, after a forced shutdown that cost Iraq and the Kurdistan Region huge financial losses exceeding billions.

Kurdistan Region’s oil exports were halted on March 25, 2023, following an international arbitration ruling requiring Türkiye not to allow the region’s oil exports without the approval of the federal government in Baghdad.

Since then, shipments of an estimated 450,000 barrels per day have been disrupted, including 400,000 barrels from the Kurdistan Region and 50,000 from the northern Kirkuk fields. This disruption has resulted in daily financial losses exceeding $30 million, according to unofficial estimates.

Observers also believe that the agreement is not limited to the technical aspects related to pumping and export operations, but rather extends to a political understanding between Baghdad and Erbil.

The oil issue is one of the most contentious issues between the two sides, and the new understanding is expected to contribute to strengthening mutual trust and opening the door to addressing other issues, such as the salaries of the region’s employees and Kurdistan’s share of the federal budget.

According to experts, the resumption of the region’s oil exports via the Ceyhan pipeline will contribute to stabilizing Iraqi oil supplies to global markets, particularly European markets, which are increasingly dependent on Iraqi oil following geopolitical tensions in the region.

The agreement will also restore balance to the relationship between the Iraqi Ministry of Oil and the Kurdistan Regional Government’s Ministry of Natural Resources, after years of disputes over field management powers and contracts with foreign companies.

Shafaq.com

The Green Bird is close to returning to European skies.

The Parliamentary Transport and Communications Committee announced tangible progress in lifting the European ban on Iraqi Airways, paving the way for the resumption of flights over European airspace after meeting approved international requirements. Committee member Karwan Ali Yaroos explained to Al-Sabah that Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani personally followed up on the file, held meetings with the company’s management, and granted it full powers stipulated in the Public Companies Law. He also directed communication with the International Air Transport Association (IATA) consultant to activate previous contracts, complete the requirements for lifting the ban, and restore the company’s full membership through the IOSA (Internal Operational Safety Audit) program.

Yarois indicated that the company has concluded an agreement with the International Federation to conduct a comprehensive assessment to obtain the IOSA certification. The program is divided into two phases, the first of which includes preparing work manuals, experimental auditing, and final corrections. This phase is scheduled to be completed by the end of December 2025, followed by obtaining the TCO certification and exiting the European ban.

Alsabaah.iq