One month after Parliament passed legislation designed to help restart the pipeline to Turkey, implementation is mired in old disagreements.
As hostilities with Iran resume, a shortened waiver period gives the outgoing Trump administration one last opportunity to wield economic leverage in Iraq.
A broad range of political, security, and business leaders say they expect no sea change in U.S. policy toward Iraq, while hoping for reduced tensions with Iran.
Finance Ministry issues orders to begin transferring overdue civil servant salaries after overnight approval of $10 billion borrowing law.
Legislation would provide less than one-third of the emergency funding requested by the Cabinet, and could be further delayed by Erbil-Baghdad disputes.
An attack near the Swara Tika and Atrush oil fields comes a week after a pipeline explosion blamed on the PKK, and as Turkey pressures leaders in Erbil and Baghdad to confront the guerrilla group.
Emergency measures include $35 billion in new borrowing, a total overhaul of the economy, and the potential devaluation of the Iraqi dinar.
If the Parliament does not pass a new stop-gap financing law, the government says it cannot fund basic expenses including civil servant salaries.
Strong commercial ties were at the center of the U.S.-Iraq strategic dialogue. Now, with a threat to close its Baghdad embassy, the U.S. is casting doubt on the future of the bilateral relationship.
Cabinet considers new borrowing legislation to fund massive deficits after political headwinds stopped attempts to pass a full 2020 budget.
When Mustafa al-Kadhimi took office, the U.S. granted Iraq a relatively long 120-day Iran sanctions waiver. That diplomatic honeymoon could be ending.
