Iran’s two border crossings with Iraqi Kurdistan region have resumed their operations following an announcement by the Supreme National Security Council (SNSC), the director general of the Interior Ministry’s border affairs department said. Shahriar Heidari said that according to the interior minister, the Parviz Khan border crossing in Iran's Kermanshah province and the Haj Omran […]
By Kamal Chomani for Al-Monitor. Any opinions expressed are those of the author, and do not necessarily reflect the views of Iraq Business News. Trying to jump-start discussions with Iraq's central government, the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) in Erbil recently announced it will respect the Iraqi Federal Court's ecision that the KRG independence referendum was unconstitutional. But Baghdad has amplified its demands for opening a dialogue, which […]
By John Lee. The escalating tensions between Baghdad and Erbil have triggered an unprecedented upsurge in applications from wealthy Iraqi nationals for second citizenship programs. Data collected by Savory & Partners, one of the largest companies in the Middle East that provides citizenship-by-investment programs, shows that compared to the same quarter last year, interest has […]
By John Lee. The Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) said on Tuesday that it would accept a Supreme Court decision prohibiting the region from seceding from Iraq. It said in a statement: "At the request of the Secretary General of the Iraqi Council of Ministers on November 5th, 2017, the Federal Supreme Court issued Decision No. […]
From Al Jazeera. Any opinions expressed are those of the authors, and do not necessarily reflect the views of Iraq Business News. The economy in the Kurdish region of Iraq has taken a hit after the referendum on secession. The central government in Baghdad has closed international airspace, tourists are staying away, and there’s been […]
By John Lee. Tourism in Iraqi Kurdistan has reportedly been hard hit following Baghdad imposed punitive measures on the Kurdistan Region following the independence referendum. Many restaurants and guesthouses in Erbil have had to lay off employees after international flights were banned and the borders temporarily closed. According to Rudaw, the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) […]
By John Lee. Rudaw reports that the Central Bank of Iraq (CBI) has called on all Iraqi banks to halt their operations in the Kurdistan Region indefinitely. It says that any bank that disobeys will no longer receive foreign currency transfers from the central bank. Banks have reportedly been given one week to inform Iraq’s […]
From Al Jazeera. Any opinions expressed are those of the authors, and do not necessarily reflect the views of Iraq Business News. Masoud Barzani, president of the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG), has decided not to extend his presidential term beyond November 1. His decision came just weeks after the failure of the independence referendum he […]
Statement from Kurdistan Regional Government: As Iraq and Kurdistan are faced with grave and dangerous circumistances, we are all obliged to act responsibily in order to prevent further violence and clashes between Iraqi and Peshmerga forces. Attacks and confrontations between Iraqi and Peshmerga forces that started on October 16, 2017, especially today's clashes, have caused […]
The Council of Ministers of the Kurdistan Regional Government held a meeting on Thursday to discuss the latest developments in the region. Prime Minister Nechirvan Barzani and Deputy Prime Minister Qubad Talabani attended the meeting and discussed the situation in Kirkuk and other areas that witnessed tensions and clashes this week. The Council of Ministers […]
By Dr. Olgu Okumuş for Al-Monitor. Any opinions expressed are those of the author, and do not necessarily reflect the views of Iraq Business News. On Sept. 28, when Russian President Vladimir Putin and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan jointly stated their support for the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Iraq, they also made a point of stressing their […]
By Hamdi Malik for Al-Monitor. Any opinions expressed are those of the author, and do not necessarily reflect the views of Iraq Business News. The Sept. 25 referendum, in which voters overwhelmingly voted for independence for Iraqi Kurdistan, increased the division between the Turkmen and Kurdish populations in the disputed city of Kirkuk. But Turkmens believe the Kurdish […]
