WASHINGTON, Nov 14 (Reuters) - The United States has issued a new 120-day waiver allowing Iraq to pay Iran for electricity, U.S. officials said on Tuesday, stressing Tehran could only use the funds for humanitarian trade and seeking to blunt criticism of giving Iran the money.
The move may also be controversial because Washington has asked Baghdad to curtail attacks on U.S. forces in Iraq by Iranian-allied militias, with mixed results.
One U.S. official described the U.S. requests to Iraq as "a work in progress."
U.S. and coalition troops have been attacked at least 55 times in Iraq and Syria since Oct. 17, injuring 59 personnel, though all have returned to duty.
Reporting By Simon Lewis, Humeyra Pamuk in Washington; Writing by Arshad Mohammed; Editing by Grant McCool and Lincoln Feast.
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