US poll: Support for troop withdrawal from Iraq

A poll published by The Hill newspaper revealed that most Americans support the withdrawal of their troops from Iraq and Syria and the reduction of the US military presence in the Middle East.

The results of the poll, conducted by Concerned Veterans for America and YouGov, showed that 62% of respondents “somewhat” support withdrawing troops from Iraq, while 27% took a neutral position, and 11% opposed it.

Similar results were recorded regarding Syria, where 61% of survey participants supported the return of soldiers to their homes, while 27% had no clear opinion, and 12% opposed the withdrawal of troops.

The withdrawal of troops from Iraq and Syria was supported by majorities of both Republicans and Democrats, as well as independent voters. Nearly six in ten respondents (58%) believe that the United States should generally “reduce its level of engagement” in the Middle East.

“These data confirm what we have observed for years: veterans and the general public want a foreign policy based on moderation, responsibility, and national interest,” said John Wick, executive director of the Veterans Affairs Organization, commenting on the findings.

He added, “After decades of military campaigns in the Middle East, the US military presence in countries like Iraq and Syria no longer has a clear strategic objective.”

Wick also noted that “most survey respondents, including both Democrats and Republicans, agree with US President Donald Trump that the war in Iraq was a grave mistake.”

The survey was conducted from September 19 to 23 and included 1,000 participants, including veterans, military family members, and members of the general public.

The margin of error for the poll results is 3.7 percentage points.

Burathanews.com

ExxonMobil: We are pleased to sign the century-old agreement to develop and market Iraqi oil.

ExxonMobil, the US-based oil company, expressed its happiness at its return to Iraq, calling it the “deal of the century.”

“We are pleased to sign the Horn of Africa agreement with the Iraqi Ministry of Oil to evaluate exploration, development, and marketing opportunities for oil in Iraq,” the company said in a statement translated by Mail.

ExxonMobil and the Iraqi Ministry of Oil signed a new agreement to return to Iraq. The Iraqi government praised this development and affirmed its “strong interest” in working with major oil companies, particularly American ones, to operate oil fields such as the Majnoon field in Basra .

Miliq.news

Exclusive: The Trump administration sends a “war message” to Iraq: hints at decisive action.

The US State Department issued a stern warning to Iranian-backed armed factions in Iraq on Thursday, vowing to act “decisively” to protect US interests.

A State Department spokesperson told Shafaq News Agency, “The designations of Iran-backed terrorist organizations simply make one thing clear: these groups use terrorism to attack Americans in Iraq in service of Iran’s interests, and have done so for decades. They also exploit Iraq’s economy to fund Iran’s terrorist activities around the world.”

The US spokesman indicated that “under President Trump’s bold leadership, the United States will act decisively to ensure the protection of American interests in Iraq and the region.”

However, the spokesman cautioned that “the United States is committed to its partners throughout Iraq who are working to build a truly sovereign, stable, and prosperous country.”

He added, “The current administration is in constant communication with partners throughout Iraq and supports Iraqi actors who share the United States’ priorities and concerns.”

According to him, there are tangible economic achievements, saying, “Just today, a deal was signed between the Iraqi government and ExxonMobil to develop the Majnoon oil field, and recent US diplomatic efforts have led to the reopening of the pipeline between Iraq and Turkey.”

The US State Department spokesperson stated that “deals like these will deliver real and tangible benefits to both Americans and Iraqis, and are a testament to the partnership between the United States and Iraq.”

Shafaq.com

Iraq wins 32 international lawsuits, saving it from losses estimated at more than $2 billion.

The Ministry of Justice announced on Thursday that it had won 32 lawsuits, arbitrations, and recovery claims over the past three years, from 2023 to 2025, sparing Iraq more than $2 billion in damages.

The ministry explained in a statement today that the total sums recovered amounted to two billion, five hundred and ninety-nine million, eight hundred and eighty-five thousand, three hundred and forty-five US dollars, in addition to forty million euros.

The statement added that these sums were being claimed by foreign entities and international companies in lawsuits filed against the Iraqi state before international courts and arbitration bodies.

Shafaq.com

Prime Minister’s Advisor: The Securities and Commodities Authority ended market chaos and contributed to regulating national investment.

The Prime Minister’s advisor for financial affairs, Mazhar Mohammed Saleh, confirmed on Thursday that the Securities Commission has ended market chaos and contributed to regulating national investment in the country. Saleh told the official news agency that “the Securities Commission has achieved significant results during its journey, most notably the establishment of an institutional market system, a necessary step towards building a sound financial market.”

He added, “The Securities Commission market was properly established through a partnership between the state and the private sector, relying on strong tools, most notably the Iraq Stock Exchange and a financial oversight body that formed a fundamental foundation for embodying the state’s philosophy in this partnership.”

He also explained that “these important results have helped fill the void and established foundations upon which we can quickly build. They have also ended the role of unregulated markets through which domestic capital was channeled abroad, weakening our ability to attract financial capital.”

He continued, “The Securities Commission is the regulatory body for the markets, and its oversight function is to ensure competition and prevent monopolies.” He noted that “the Commission has future responsibilities that align with the Iraqi economic philosophy based on partnership between the state and the private sector, enabling the government to regulate the market and maintain its competitiveness.”

Burathanews.com

Central Bank Governor: We have received 80 applications to establish digital banks.

The Governor of the Central Bank of Iraq, Ali Al-Alaq, announced on Thursday that the bank has received approximately 80 applications to establish digital banks, stressing that the names of licensed digital banks will be announced soon. Al-Alaq told the official agency, “The Central Bank has received between 70 and 80 applications to establish a digital bank. This number can only be licensed according to a set of criteria based on market studies, the nature of the work, and the experiences of other countries, where the number of digital banks usually does not exceed two, three, or four.”

He continued, “Therefore, we have begun vetting processes to determine requirements in a way that ensures that licenses are granted to entities with the best qualifications.” He emphasized, “We are now in the final stages of announcing the banks that will be licensed.”

He added, “Before making the final decision, we engaged Oliver Wyman to review the criteria set by the Central Bank, based on which licenses will be granted.”

Al-Alaq also explained that “the aforementioned company has been studying these criteria over the past few days, having been preoccupied with the banking reform file and the comprehensive plan, and we believe we will receive a final answer within the next few days.”

Burathanews.com

Nechirvan Barzani: The Trump administration represents an opportunity for us.

Kurdistan Region President Nechirvan Barzani said on Wednesday that the administration of US President Donald Trump represents “an opportunity for us.”

“We believe we have good relations with the United States, and we support US President Donald Trump’s policies toward opportunities and stability in the region and in Gaza,” Barzani said in a dialogue session during the Middle East Reform Forum (MERI) held in Erbil, attended by Shafaq News Agency.

He added, “The United States has helped us through many difficult times. We confronted ISIS with US assistance, and their role was supportive of the Peshmerga forces.” He explained, “We see the Trump administration as an opportunity for us.”

Shafaq.com

Al-Sudani confirms the continuation of financial and banking reform.

As part of its efforts to enhance transparency, consolidate governance, and enhance the credibility of state institutions before the international community, the government, headed by Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani, continues to implement comprehensive reforms based on applying best financial and administrative practices, combating corruption, and ensuring compliance with laws and regulations, contributing to building a modern national economy.

In this context, the Prime Minister received a delegation from KPMG, a global auditing and financial consulting firm, yesterday, Tuesday. They reviewed existing cooperation with the Iraqi banking sector, ways to support transparency, and enhance the country’s financial reputation internationally. Al-Sudani emphasized that banking reform has become a model of commitment and trust, praising the pivotal role of financial audit firms in consolidating governance and professionalism.

He emphasized the importance of leveraging the company’s expertise in restructuring government companies and raising their operational efficiency, managing public debt, and drafting contracts for major strategic projects. He also affirmed the government’s support for the Central Bank and the Trade Bank of Iraq to ensure the rapid completion of audit tasks in accordance with international standards and the timetable for issuing banks’ final accounts. Regarding administrative reform, the Prime Minister chaired the 40th regular session of the Council, during which he discussed the general situation and took the necessary decisions. In light of the unified report on violations of Law No. 28 of 2019 on the Cancellation of Financial Privileges for Officials, Al-Sudani directed all government agencies to comply with the law and return any excess vehicles or protection within seven days, while referring those who refrain from doing so to the Integrity Commission to ensure the protection of public funds and promote a culture of accountability.

The Council also voted to appoint (15) general managers in various government departments, while it decided to dismiss the Director of the Investments and Contracts Department at the Ministry of Electricity and transfer him to a lower level, based on performance evaluation. These decisions reflect the government’s keenness to achieve administrative reform, enhance efficiency, and link responsibility to accountability, in line with the comprehensive objectives of the government’s program for economic and financial reform.

Alsabaah.iq

The President of the Republic affirms the development of Iraq’s foreign relations and calls for the approval of the oil and gas law.

Iraqi oilPresident Abdul Latif Rashid affirmed on Tuesday that Iraq’s foreign relations are witnessing positive developments, both with neighboring countries and the international community.
Rashid said in a press statement, “The water issue represents a sovereign and vital issue for Iraq, and it is necessary to strengthen diplomatic relations with neighboring countries, especially Turkey, Iran, and Syria, in order to ensure a fair and sufficient share of water that meets the country’s needs.”

He added, “It is important to work on reforming domestic policies in water resource management,” noting that “it is the responsibility of the federal government and the Kurdistan Region to build strong relations based on cooperation and understanding to achieve the aspirations of all citizens.”

The President continued, “The failure to pass an oil and gas law has contributed to the lack of detailed regulation of oil production, export, and revenue distribution mechanisms.” He explained that “the recent agreement between the federal government and the Kurdistan Region on the oil file is a positive and important step toward building trust, but it requires permanent legal consolidation through the adoption of an oil and gas law, which represents the true guarantee of a stable and sustainable relationship between the two parties.”

Alforatnews.iq

In America’s absence, China seizes Iraqi oil in September

The majority of Iraq’s seaborne crude oil exports went to Asian countries, with China, India, and South Korea accounting for the largest share in September, according to official figures.

The details of daily exports are as follows:

China: 1.106 million barrels per day, up 34,000 barrels per day from the same period last year.

India: 873,000 barrels per day, up 39,000 barrels per day compared to September 2024.

South Korea: 293,000 barrels per day, up 6,000 barrels per day from last year.

Meanwhile, European countries also recorded an increase in their imports of Iraqi oil, as follows:

Greece: 197,000 barrels per day, compared to 192,000 in September 2024.

France: Its imports jumped to 134,000 barrels per day, compared to 45,000 in the same month last year.

Iraqi oil exports continue to support the national economy and enhance Iraq’s role in global energy markets, with a clear focus on meeting growing demand from both Asian and European countries.

Shafaq.com