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Security

Basra tanker attack marks deepening crisis for Iraq oil sector

Iraq is facing a widening array of security threats and economic consequences from the Iran war.
Iraqi ports director Farhan al-Fartousi (right) conducts an inspection on March 12, 2026, of the site of an Iranian attack on oil tankers the previous night. (Photo credit: General Company for Ports of Iraq)

Baiji refinery still under siege

Insurgents control the area around Iraq's largest refinery, although their attacks have been consistently repelled by elite Iraqi commandos and helicopter gunships.

Clashes and tension along Kurdistan’s new border

After gaining new territory, Kurdish forces are providing badly needed security – but in volatile border towns like Tuz Khurmatu, they face tensions with locals and battles with insurgents.

Kurdistan faces ongoing refugee challenge

As insurgents have taken over large parts of northern Iraq, refugees have flooded into Kurdistan, presenting the government with both humanitarian and security challenges.

Iraq’s largest oil fields reduce staff

Production levels should remain steady, but BP and Exxon have withdrawn some staff from southern Iraq in response to insurgent violence in the north.