Politics

Iraq grapples with power shortages and Iran sanctions as summer looms

The expiration of a U.S. sanctions waiver on Iranian electricity imports is complicating Baghdad's balancing act between Tehran and Washington, while the government scrambles for power supply ahead of peak demand season.

Workers from the Southern Projects Commission of Iraq's State Company for Oil Projects assemble a pipeline designed to carry regassified LNG imported via the Khor al-Zubair port in Basra to power stations in February 2025. (ALI AL-AQILY/Iraq Oil Report)

Mar 27, 2025

Q&A: Ahmad Salman, deputy president of Syria’s Kurdish Democratic Progressive Party

A veteran of Syria's oil sector — and a political leader in the oil-rich northeast — discusses negotiations with Damascus over the future of the country.

Mar 20, 2025

Q&A: Ali Shaddad al-Faris, MP and spokesperson for the Parliament Oil and Gas Committee

An inside view on multiple laws governing oil sector management and new refineries, and political dynamics related to Baghdad-KRG oil and budget issues.

Mar 6, 2025

Disputes between Baghdad and IOCs keep northern oil exports offline

One month after Parliament passed legislation designed to help restart the pipeline to Turkey, implementation is mired in old disagreements.

Feb 20, 2025

New Syria oil trade begins, despite political volatility

Syria's autonomous Kurdish-led enclave has revived an energy trade supplying oil and gas to territory controlled by the transitional government in Damascus.

Feb 13, 2025

Baghdad court ends Oil Ministry challenge to KRG oil contracts

Kurdistan's oil companies cemented a legal victory as the final avenue for appeal has closed.

Feb 3, 2025

Budget amendment takes Iraq one step toward northern export restart

Parliament passed an amendment to the national budget law designed to pay oil companies in Kurdistan and unlock pipeline exports to Turkey.

Jan 24, 2025

Rising budget controversy endangers northern export restart

A compromise measure to pay Kurdistan's oil contractors and unlock Iraq's northern oil export route has met major political opposition.

Jan 2, 2025

Iraq-Iran fuel oil barter deal pays down debt backlog

Iraq has been transferring large volumes of high-sulfur fuel oil to Iranian traders in a deal to help resolve energy import debts.

Dec 24, 2024

Iraq braces for change after Syria upheaval

Leaders across the political spectrum in Baghdad foresee new security threats, shifting political dynamics, and impacts on energy trade.

Dec 21, 2024

Baghdad court rejects Oil Ministry effort to invalidate KRG oil contracts

The Karkh Court of Appeals has denied an Oil Ministry appeal and reversed a series of 2022 rulings that declared several KRG oil contracts void.

Dec 10, 2024

Iraqi leaders anticipate renewed uncertainty from second Trump administration

The revival of a “maximum pressure” campaign against Iran is likely to extend into Iraq, with implications for domestic politics, banking, and the oil sector.