A Kurdish delegation is back in Baghdad to discuss the terms of the agreement with the Sudanese government.

A Kurdistan Regional Government delegation arrived in Baghdad on Monday for the second time in two weeks to discuss the latest efforts to reach an agreement with Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani’s government.

According to a Shafaq News Agency correspondent, the delegation conveyed the regional government’s response to the proposals presented by the federal government, in preparation for initiating discussions on them and reaching a common understanding.

These developments come as the Iraqi Council of Ministers is expected to hold its regular session tomorrow, Tuesday, during which a vote is likely to be held on the final version of the agreement between Erbil and Baghdad.

Shafaq.com

Trump puts Iraq at a crossroads: join the West or face sanctions

A US report reveals President Donald Trump’s persistent efforts to draw Iraq toward the Western axis, stressing that the US Treasury’s recent sanctions on Iraqi oil networks involved in smuggling for Iran are likely to hinder international investment in the oil and gas sector and ports planned by Baghdad.

A report by the American oil website Oil Price, translated by Shafaq News Agency, stated that “the Trump administration has escalated its pressure on the Iranian regime, just weeks after the attack on Tehran’s nuclear facilities, and has tightened the “maximum pressure” sanctions imposed by Trump, as Washington announced new designations that included more than 30 tankers, entities, and individuals.”

The report pointed out that the US Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) stated on Thursday that the targeted networks transport billions of dollars worth of Iranian oil and include designations of companies linked to British and Iraqi citizen Salim Ahmed Saeed, who is accused of selling Iranian oil falsely declared as Iraqi oil since at least 2020. The designations also address Iraq-based operations that blend Iranian oil with Iraqi oil and sell it as Iraqi or Emirati oil.

According to the report, “One target is the VS Oil Terminal in the Iraqi port of Khor al-Zubair, owned by Saeed and housing six oil tanks. OFAC has also observed ship-to-ship transfers occurring near this terminal. Lloyd’s List has previously reported that forged documents and manipulated data are routinely used to disguise Iranian oil. Other designations include the UAE-based VS Tankers FZE, the Marshall Islands-flagged supertanker Tigris, and 11 other tankers used in Iranian oil and liquefied natural gas (LNG) shipments.”

He explained that “some of the vessels were involved in sales operations for the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps-Quds Force. The designations also included Sai Saburi Consulting Services, an India-based ship management company (linked to the sanctioned Pakistani trading company Alliance Energy), and the Singaporean company Trans Arctic Global Marine Services.”

The report continued: “For Iraq, the implications are significant. While Baghdad seeks to boost investment and cooperation with the West, US sanctions targeting Iraqi-linked operators could hinder international investment in the oil, gas, and ports sectors. Baghdad also needs more natural gas, and the broader US-Israeli conflict with Iran, along with Washington’s efforts to limit Iranian influence in Iraq, are increasing political and economic instability.”

He pointed out that “Iran’s grip on Iraq has weakened recently, but the militias remain active, and Baghdad is also embroiled in a dispute with the Kurdistan Regional Government over oil contracts and revenue sharing.” He noted that “Washington’s involvement in the dynamics of Iranian-Iraqi relations has begun to deepen, and that Trump’s strategy is based on two axes: pressuring Tehran to negotiate, drawing Iraq into the Western orbit, and confronting the growing regional role of China and Russia.”

Shafaq.com

Shafaq News monitors errors in Iraqi financial revenue tables.

The Iraqi Ministry of Finance announced on Monday that federal budget revenues from January through the end of April 2025 exceeded 28 trillion and 55 billion dinars, compared to general budget revenues through the end of March, which amounted to 27 trillion and 248 billion dinars.

After Shafaq News Agency’s economics department verified the increase in announced revenues up to April, amounting to only 802 billion dinars. This indicates an error in the figures published by the ministry on its official website, which supposedly increased monthly revenues by between 7 and 10 trillion dinars.

The Ministry of Finance had previously announced that January revenues exceeded 7 trillion dinars, while revenues by the end of February had reached more than 17 trillion dinars, and by March 27 trillion dinars.

Accordingly, financial revenues through April are expected to exceed 38 trillion dinars, instead of the 28 trillion dinars mentioned in the financial revenues table.

These data confirm the existence of an error in the revenue tables published by the Ministry of Finance, which requires a thorough review and urgent correction to ensure the accuracy of the official data.

Shafaq.com

Prime Minister: Gasoline imports will end this year and we will move to exporting petroleum products.

Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani confirmed on Monday that gasoline imports will end this year and that Iraq will transition to exporting petroleum products. The Prime Minister’s media office stated in a statement that “the Diwaniyah refinery will process liquefied natural gas with a capacity of 180 tons per day and improve gasoline with a capacity of 10,000 barrels per day.”

He also stated that “we have transformed from a country that imports petroleum products to one that meets its needs with the exception of importing a small amount of gasoline,” noting that “gasoline imports will end this year.”

Burathanews.com

British newspaper: Iraq has enormous energy potential, but policies have prevented its exploitation.

Iraq has enormous energy potential, but policies have prevented its exploitationDecades of unrest have led to the neglect of Iraq’s vast energy potential, but renewed investment and strategic reforms could transform it into a major player in the region, according to a report published by the British newspaper Petroleum Economist on Saturday.

Despite being a founding member of OPEC, Iraq is the world’s largest untapped major hydrocarbon resource, largely due to its period of continuous turmoil. A war with Iran throughout the 1980s, followed by the invasion of Kuwait and international sanctions throughout the 1990s, and then the US invasion and regime change in 2003, Iraq has suffered decades of war, sanctions, and isolation from the international oil and gas industry in terms of capital, technology, and management.

He added, “Despite these challenges, Iraq has achieved significant progress in recent years, moving from producing a few million barrels of oil per day to nearly 5 million barrels per day today. This number is expected to double—and even more—if all goes as planned. There are still huge undeveloped fields and promising prospects yet to be explored.”

He continued, “Even under the most ambitious energy transition scenarios, oil and gas will play a prominent role for decades to come. Much of what the energy transition relies on is made from oil, whether it’s electric cars, wind turbines, or solar panels. Natural gas is also essential, as recognized at the Climate Summit and as an important transition fuel.

Replacing gas with less polluting fuels such as coal or, in the case of the Middle East, liquid fuels is the way to quickly reduce emissions and then enable the addition of renewable energy sources. Because renewable energy sources are intermittent, baseload must be stabilized before solar and wind power are added.”

The report noted that “even as we look forward to a potential transition away from fossil fuels, the fossil fuels available in the Middle East and Iraq, particularly hydrocarbons, will be among the last to be consumed on the market, given their low cost and being among the cleanest.”

Almaalomah.me

America is tightening Iraq’s financial grip with the SWIFT system.

Economic expert, Faleh Al-Zubaidi, confirmed today, Thursday, that the United States of America is using the global financial transfer system “SWIFT” as a tool for political and economic blackmail, exploiting its dominance over the international financial system to impose pressure on countries that do not align with its interests, most notably Iraq.

Al-Zubaidi said in a statement to Al-Maalouma Agency, “The SWIFT system is used for global bank transfers, but it is actually subject to American control, which makes it an effective tool for punishing countries that deviate from the American line.”

He pointed out that “Iraq is now on the list of countries targeted by the policy of hidden financial sanctions, in order to impose American dictates on its government.”
He added that “the severe restrictions Baghdad is suffering from in international financial transactions fall within the policy of economic pressure, and it is a repetition of what happened with Russia, Iran and China.”

Al-Zubaidi warned that “the continued American control over SWIFT poses a direct threat to Iraq’s financial security and economic sovereignty.”

Almaalomah.me

Iraq’s money is in the hands of the Federal Reserve. When will the American shackles be broken?

Despite more than a decade having passed since Iraq’s exit from Chapter 7, Iraqi oil revenues remain under the control of the US Federal Reserve, limiting Baghdad’s ability to freely manage its financial resources and directly impacting economic stability and the dinar’s exchange rate.

Long guardianship disrupts the economy

The continued US Federal Reserve’s custody of Iraq’s oil revenues is one of the main factors hampering the economy and deepening the dollar’s appreciation crisis.

Although Iraq fully fulfilled its obligations to Kuwait and moved from Chapter VII to Chapter VI, this problem remained unresolved.

In this context, Abbas al-Jubouri, director of the Al-Rafd Center for Media and Strategic Studies, told Al-Maalouma, “Iraq has exited Chapter 7 after fulfilling its commitments to Kuwait, and is now moving to the less severe Chapter 6. However, the Federal Reserve’s problem has remained unchanged, as it continues to control Iraqi oil revenues.”

Al-Jubouri added that “the lack of unity in the political decision-making process within the country, due to divisions and disagreements, has weakened Iraq’s position on lifting the US Federal Reserve’s mandate, and has kept this problem ongoing with no clear horizon for a solution.”

Parliamentary pressure and proposed solutions

For his part, Member of Parliament Firas Al-Maslamawi called on the government and Ministry of Finance to take strong action to pressure the US Federal Reserve to release more Iraqi funds held there, stressing that Iraq is not a poor country, but its financial resources are constrained.

Al-Maslamawi told Al-Maalouma, “Iraq’s funds are deposited with the US Federal Reserve, and they don’t provide it in proportion to the country’s needs, whether to secure employee salaries or finance projects.” He stressed that “the government is required to take urgent measures, including pressure to increase financial expenditures in dollars from our funds deposited there.”

He pointed out that “the funding and liquidity crisis can be overcome through practical alternatives, such as entering into agreements similar to ‘projects for oil,’ as in the Chinese experience, in addition to transferring employee salaries via MasterCard to control spending and reduce demand for dollars in the markets.”

Financial submission is no less dangerous than military presence.

In a related context, political observer Sabah Al-Akeili considered liberating Iraq’s finances from the dominance of the US Federal Reserve to be no less important than ending the US military presence in the country.

Al-Akeili told Al-Maalouma, “The recent agreement announced by the government regarding the withdrawal of US forces within a year lacks guarantees, as there has been no official confirmation from the US administration, which raises doubts about its seriousness.”

He pointed out that “the sudden shift in the Sudanese government’s position, from insisting on a full withdrawal by the end of 2027 to accepting only a one-year period, may be linked to considerations related to regional developments.”

He concluded by saying: “Even assuming the agreement on military withdrawal is valid, Iraq’s finances and economy will remain at the mercy of American political and financial will, given the Federal Reserve’s continued grip on Iraqi oil revenues.”

Almaalomah.me

Al-Sudani’s office confirms the suspension of appointments and contracts in all government departments.

The media office of Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani confirmed on Thursday the suspension of appointments and contracts in all government departments, warning against attempts to entice citizens in this regard as part of the election campaign.

Al-Sudani’s office stated in a statement received by Shafaq News Agency, “It has been observed recently that political parties are trying to entice citizens and delude them into believing that there are appointments within government agencies.”

He added, “We affirm that the three-year budget law voted on by the House of Representatives stipulates in Article 14/Fourth A that appointments and contracts in all government departments be suspended.”

He continued, “Therefore, we call on citizens not to be drawn into these actions that seek to exploit them for personal ends and interests that fall within the scope of electoral propaganda.”

Shafaq.com

Iraq to drill 27 new oil wells during the first half of 2025

The Ministry of Oil announced on Thursday that the Iraqi Drilling Company will complete the drilling and rehabilitating of 113 oil wells during the first half of 2025.

The ministry said in a statement today that the company’s staff completed the drilling of 27 new wells and the reclaiming of 86 wells during the first half of 2025, in support of the ministry’s plans to increase production rates and enhance the efficiency of oil fields.

The statement quoted the company’s general manager, Hassan Mohammed Hassan, as saying that these figures reflect the commitment of national cadres who continue to work efficiently despite the challenges on the ground. He emphasized the senior management’s commitment to developing employees’ capabilities and providing an integrated and safe work environment that ensures achieving the best results within the scheduled timelines.

He added that the company is proceeding with its upcoming projects in line with a vision to expand the scope of drilling and reclamation operations, contributing to supporting the national economy and keeping pace with the aspirations of the energy sector in Iraq.

Shafaq.com

Minister: Kurdistan has agreed to all of Baghdad’s demands, but it is seeking to limit the region’s economy.

Kurdistan Region Minister of Endowments and Religious Affairs Pshtiwan Sadiq criticized the federal government’s handling of the region on Thursday, particularly regarding the issue of funding monthly salaries for public sector employees and workers, despite the Kurdistan Regional Government’s agreement to all Baghdad’s demands in this regard.

In a speech delivered to a group of religious leaders in Erbil, Sadiq said that Baghdad has been causing problems for the people of the Kurdistan Region since 2014.

He added that the Kurdistan Region had agreed to all federal government demands and to hand over oil and non-oil revenues in exchange for securing salaries for employees in the region. However, Baghdad was not committed to implementing the agreements and conditions it set.

The minister also pointed out that the federal government is trying to weaken and marginalize the Kurdistan Region economically.

Sadiq continued, “The opposition parties in Kurdistan are playing a detrimental role and are seeking to undermine the constitutional entity of the region. This is extremely dangerous, as any alternative to this entity would be disastrous.”

In a parallel development, the region’s Minister of Health, Saman Barzinji, said in a speech he delivered during the laying of the foundation stone for the rehabilitation of a hospital in Erbil, “We are still groaning under the financial crisis that the Kurdistan Region is experiencing.”

He added, “We hope the federal government will lift the collective punishment imposed on the people of Kurdistan and ratify the agreements as soon as possible.”

Shafaq.com