By Alex Vatanka for The Middle East Institute. Any opinions expressed here are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of Iraq Business News. How Iraq's vote will shape the next phase of US-Iran competition Washington is once again leaning hard on Baghdad to narrow the space for Iran's proxy networks, […]
By John Lee. The Institute for Financial Integrity (IFI) has launched its Fundamentals of Financial Crime Compliance training program, in partnership with the American University of Iraq - Baghdad (AUIB), the Central Bank of Iraq (CBI), and K2 Integrity (K2i). The first two programs were held in July and August of this year, and the […]
By Tamer Badawi for the Royal United Services Institute (RUSI). Any opinions expressed here are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of Iraq Business News. Iraq Elections Return Incumbents, Testing US and Iranian Influence Iraq's elections make ponderous a status quo Washington and Tehran seek to preserve; manoeuvring politicians make […]
By John Lee. The Iraqi Prime Minister has laid the foundation stone for the 1,400 MW Yusifiya Thermal Power Plant. The plant, which had been stalled since 1990, is being completed to strengthen the national electricity network and support long-term demand. It is being built on a build-own-operate (BOO) model, with the involvement of Al-Rida […]
By John Lee. KRG Prime Minister Masrour Barzani has received a delegation from the United States-Kurdistan Business Council (USKBC), led by its President, David Tafuri. At the start of the meeting, Tafuri congratulated the Prime Minister on the successful outcome of the Iraqi parliamentary elections and outlined the purpose of the delegation's visit. Prime Minister […]
By John Lee. The United States has issued a sanctions waiver allowing continued operations related to Russia's Lukoil until 13th December, following restrictions imposed earlier this month. Lukoil said on 14th November that it is in negotiations with several potential buyers for its international assets, adding that a deal will be announced once agreements and […]
By James Jeffrey and David Schenker, 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. Iraq's Election: Outcomes and Next Steps Sudani did very well at the ballot box, but the peculiarities of Iraq's long government formation […]
By John Lee. The US State Department has approved a possible Foreign Military Sale to the Government of Iraq for a nationwide communications and repeater system valued at up to $100 million. The Defense Security Cooperation Agency (DSCA) has notified Congress of the proposed transaction. The package includes Radio Access Points, handheld radios, base stations, […]
By John Lee. US agri-foods giant Archer-Daniels-Midland (ADM) has reportedly confirmed that Iraq has purchased two vessels of US long-grain rice. According to industry group USA Rice Federation (USA Rice), the shipments total 88,000 metric tons, and are scheduled for January and March 2026. It quotes its Chair, Keith Glover, as saying: "These two sales […]
By John Lee. The US Supreme Court has declined a petition from American defense contractor Wye Oak Technology, which had petitioned it to review its long-running legal dispute with Iraq. The case stems from a ruling by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit in July 2024, overturning a previous decision […]
By Ahmed Mousa Jiyad. Any opinions expressed are those of the author, and do not necessarily reflect the views of Iraq Business News. MoO Should Brace for ROCs' Coerced Exodus The tripartite (UK, EU and US) sanctions against Russian oil companies (ROCs), Lukoil and Rosneft, present direct, immediate and impacting threats to the development of […]
By John Lee. Swiss-based Gunvor Group has withdrawn its proposal to acquire Lukoil's international assets following opposition from the US Treasury Department. The Treasury stated that Gunvor would not receive a licence to operate as long as Russia continues its military actions in Ukraine, describing the company as "the Kremlin's puppet." Gunvor rejected the claims, […]
