Iraq Secures Oil Tanker Transit through Hormuz
By John Lee. In a significant development, Iraq has confirmed cooperation with Iran to allow the passage of Iraqi oil through the Strait of Hormuz, following high-level discussions in Baghdad on Sunday. Iraq's Minister of Foreign Affairs, Fuad Hussein, expressed his appreciation for allowing tankers carrying Iraqi oil to pass through the Strait, noting the […]
Tabaqchali: Iraqi Stocks Reach All-Time Highs as War Rages
By Ahmed Tabaqchali, Chief Strategist of AFC Iraq Fund. Any opinions expressed are those of the author, and do not necessarily reflect the views of Iraq Business News. Market Reaches All-Time Highs as War Rages The market, as measured by the Rabee Securities U.S. Dollar Equity Index (RSISX USD Index), was up 2.6% for March, […]
Iraq's March Oil Exports "Nearly $2 Billion"
By John Lee. Iraq's State Oil Marketing Organization (SOMO) has confirmed that Iraq exported approximately 18 million barrels of oil in March, generating revenues of nearly $2 billion, equivalent to about 28 percent of February's pre-crisis revenues. In a video statement, Director General Ali Nizar Al-Shatri [Shatari] said that SOMO coordinated closely with buyers and increased […]
Dinar-Dollar Demand Shifts as Import Dynamics Adjust
By John Lee. The gap between Iraq's official and parallel market exchange rates for the dinar widened from mid-December 2025 before stabilising in early March 2026, reflecting shifts in import demand and recent customs reforms. Ahmed Tabaqchali, in his latest monthly report for Iraq Business News, says the divergence was driven by increased demand for […]
Inside Tehran's Toll Booth
By Alisha Chhangani, for the Atlantic Council. Any opinions expressed here are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of Iraq Business News. Inside Tehran's toll booth There is a lot of attention right now on how Iran is managing access to the Strait of Hormuz -- operating a kind of […]
UNHCR IRAQ Monthly Update February 2026
From UNHCR: UNHCR IRAQ Monthly Update February 2026 As of the end of February 2026, Iraq generously hosts over 351,000 refugees and asylum-seekers, the majority (88%) of whom are Syrians. Close to 81% of this population resides in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq. While most refugees and asylum-seekers live in urban and peri-urban settings, 26% […]
Will Parliamentary Revolt End Deadlock over Govt Formation?
From Amwaj Media. Any opinions expressed are those of the author(s), and do not necessarily reflect the views of Iraq Business News. Will parliamentary revolt end deadlock over government formation in Baghdad? Lawmakers in Baghdad are mounting a renewed campaign to break the deadlock over Iraq's long-stalled government formation. The push reflects how the over-extended […]
Why High Quality Data Annotation Is Non-Negotiable
By Karyna Naminas, CEO of Label Your Data. Why High Quality Data Annotation Is Non-Negotiable Explore how modern data annotation tools support structured workflows, agreement tracking, and reliable ground truth creation High-quality data annotation drives every AI system you rely on. If your labels are wrong, your model will learn the wrong patterns, there is […]
Iraqi Cabinet to Consider Settlement with Lukoil
By John Lee. The Iraqi government has reviewed a proposed settlement with Lukoil following its withdrawal from the West Qurna 2 field. The discussions took place during a meeting chaired by Prime Minister Mohammed Shia Al-Sudani, with the participation of Deputy Prime Minister for Energy Affairs and Minister of Oil Hayan Abdul Ghani Al-Sawad, Finance […]
IFJ calls for Immediate Release of Shelley Kittleson
By John Lee. The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) has called on the Iraqi authorities to do everything in their power to secure the immediate release of Shelley Kittleson, the American freelance journalist who was abducted in Baghdad on Tuesday. The IFJ General Secretary Anthony Bellanger said: "We demand the immediate and unconditional release of […]
Baghdad's New 'Self-Defense' Mandate ...
From Amwaj Media. Any opinions expressed are those of the author(s), and do not necessarily reflect the views of Iraq Business News. Baghdad's new 'self-defense' mandate may formalize regionalization of Iran War Baghdad has granted its armed forces, including the Popular Mobilization Units (PMU), wider powers to respond in "self-defense" to ongoing bombings of their […]
Iraqi Airspace to Remain Closed for Another Week
By John Lee. The Iraqi Civil Aviation Authority (ICAA) has extended the closure of Iraqi airspace to all arriving, departing and transit aircraft until 12:00 noon on Friday, 10th April. The authority said the decision was taken as a temporary and precautionary measure, based on an ongoing assessment of the security situation and in light […]