From Rudaw. Any opinions expressed are those of the author(s), and do not necessarily reflect the views of Iraq Business News. Halabja locals protest Iraq's border fence with Iran The Iraqi government's decision to close the border with Iran by setting up a fence has sparked protests from locals who fear the decision will negatively […]
In a recent move by the Kurdistan Regional Government's Ministry of Interior, citizens from 53 countries have been granted the ability to enter the Kurdistan Region without a pre-arranged visa. Under this new policy, eligible travellers simply need to present their passports at any border entry point, where they will be issued an electronic visa, […]
By John Lee. The Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) has expressed its concern at proposed amendments to legislation in Iraq which it says, if approved, would impose the death penalty or life imprisonment for engaging in consensual same-sex relations, as well as for certain forms of adultery. It has called on […]
By Adam Lucente for Al Monitor. Any opinions expressed here are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of Iraq Business News. What's next for Iraq and the US after drone strike killed militia leader? The Iraqi government strongly condemned the US strike that killed Abu Baqir al-Saadi, as did Iran-backed […]
By John Lee. Iraqi Foreign Minister Fuad Hussein has called on the US Treasury Department to reconsider its recent imposition of sanctions on Iraqi banks. During a phone call from the US Secretary of State, Antony Blinken, Minister Hussein explained that these banks have, "an important and major role in financing ration card expenses and […]
By John Lee. Transparency International has said that Iraq has improved its ranking, and maintained its score, in the global Corruption Perceptions Index (CPI) for 2023. From a total of 180 countries, Iraq came in at number 154, up 3 places on the previous year. This result puts it on equal ranking with Honduras, Azerbaijan […]
By John Lee. Various media sources say that Iraq has banned eight local commercial banks from making transactions in U.S. dollars. This precludes these banks from taking part in the Central Bank's daily dollar auction. The banks are reported to be: Ashur International Bank for Investment; Investment Bank of Iraq; Union Bank of Iraq; Kurdistan […]
By Bilal Wahab for the Washington Institute for Near East Policy. Any opinions expressed are those of the author(s), and do not necessarily reflect the views of Iraq Business News. Two Tough Scenarios for U.S.-Iraq Relations Washington's ever-narrowing Iraq policy has left it with unpalatable choices, but muddling through is a better short-term option than […]
From Amwaj Media. Any opinions expressed are those of the author(s), and do not necessarily reflect the views of Iraq Business News. Deep Dive: Why a US withdrawal from Iraq is off the table An important letter was delivered to Iraqi Foreign Minister Fuad Hussein last week. In a Jan. 24 meeting, US Ambassador Alina […]
By John Lee. Kuwait and Saudi Arabia have renewed their call for Iraq to respect the agreement between the Iraq and Kuwait on the regulation of maritime navigation in the Khor Abdullah waterway. In September, the Iraqi Federal Supreme Court declared the agreement to be unconstitutional. A joint statement issued on Wednesday at the conclusion […]
By John Lee. The US Treasury Department has sanctioned Iraq's Al-Huda Bank, and its owner and Chairman, Hamad al-Moussawi. On Monday, the Department's Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN) said the bank, "serves as a conduit for terrorist financing, as a foreign financial institution of primary money laundering concern." Along with its finding, FinCEN proposed imposing […]
By John Lee. Judge Haider Hanoun, head of the Federal Integrity Commission in Iraq, called on all countries, especially those parties to the United Nations and Arab anti-corruption agreements, to unite, cooperate, and combine efforts to mitigate the danger of corruption. He emphasized that corruption has become a phenomenon crossing national borders, and modern methods […]
