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☆ U.S. Forces Under Fire in Middle East as America Slides Towards Brink
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-09 | by ( Nov. | At A.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +10 min

By Phil Stewart, Idrees Ali and Ahmed RasheedWASHINGTON/BAGHDAD (Reuters) - A defective drone in Iraq may have helped keep America from being dragged deeper into a widening Middle East conflict. The possibility of a major strike that draws America into a conflict is "a very realistic concern," he said. "I think they are calibrating the attacks to harass rather than kill en masse U.S. troops," he said of Iraqi and Syrian militias. Iran says it had no role in Hamas' Oct. 7 raid on Israel, though it has welcomed the attack. "We had rocket attacks, mortar attacks, before we got hit with the big bomb," he said.

Persons: Phil Stewart, Idrees Ali, Ahmed Rasheed WASHINGTON, David Schenker, Joe Biden, Biden, Antony Blinken, Mohammed Shia Al, Sudani, Ali Turki, Arif al, didn't, Saddam Hussein, it's, Blinken, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, isn't, Biden's, Lloyd Austin, hasn't, Tom Cotton, Austin, Lindsey Graham, Austin demurred, Graham, David Madaras, Ahmed Rasheed, Amina Ismail, Parisa, Michael Georgy, Pravin Char Organizations: U.S, Israel, Pentagon, Washington Institute for Near, Sunday, Haq, IRAN Iraq's, U.S . Navy, Wednesday, U.S . Defense, Democrat, Senate Armed Services Committee, Republican, United Locations: BAGHDAD, Iraq, America, Erbil, Iranian, Syria, Gaza, U.S, Iran, Syrian, Israel, Sudani's, Baghdad, IRAQ, IRAN, Tehran, Iraqi, Lebanon, Russian, Washington, TEHRAN, Yemen, Ukraine, China, pullout, Afghanistan, Ohio, Beirut, United States

☆ Drone, explosive attacks target US forces across Iraq
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-09 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

There had been four attacks against U.S. troops in Iraq and Syria in the past 24 hours, a separate U.S. official said, speaking on the condition of anonymity. The security sources said the patrol was accompanied by Iraqi counter-terrorism forces and that a vehicle in the patrol was damaged. A drone was also launched at al-Harir air base in Erbil which house U.S. and international forces but was downed before reaching its target, security sources said. It added that the base had been evacuated of U.S.-led coalition forces on Oct. 20. The U.S. military official said they "don't have any updates regarding adjustments in force posture throughout Iraq and Syria."

Persons: Kamal Ayash, Jamal al, Ahmed Rasheed, Timour, Idrees Ali, Timour Azhari, Mark Heinrich, Lisa Shumaker Organizations: U.S, Federal Iraqi, Pentagon, United, Thomson Locations: MOSUL, Iraq, U.S, Israel, Syria, Mosul, Ain, Asad, Baghdad, Erbil, Gaza, Iran, Tehran, Iranian, United States, Anbar, Badrani, Washington

[1/2] A view shows smoke in the Gaza Strip as seen from Israel's border with the Gaza Strip, in southern Israel October 18, 2023. REUTERS/Amir Cohen/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsWASHINGTON/BAGHDAD, Nov 9 (Reuters) - A defective drone in Iraq may have helped keep America from being dragged deeper into a widening Middle East conflict. The possibility of a major strike that draws America into a conflict is "a very realistic concern," he said. "I think they are calibrating the attacks to harass rather than kill en masse U.S. troops," he said of Iraqi and Syrian militias. "We had rocket attacks, mortar attacks, before we got hit with the big bomb," he said.

Persons: Amir Cohen, David Schenker, Joe Biden, Biden, Antony Blinken, Mohammed Shia Al, Sudani, Ali Turki, Arif al, didn't, Saddam Hussein, it's, Blinken, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, isn't, Biden's, Lloyd Austin, hasn't, Tom Cotton, Austin, Lindsey Graham, Austin demurred, Graham, David Madaras, Phil Stewart, Idrees Ali, Ahmed Rasheed, Amina Ismail, Parisa, Michael Georgy, Pravin Organizations: REUTERS, U.S, Israel, Pentagon, Washington Institute for Near, Sunday, Haq, IRAN Iraq's, U.S . Navy, Wednesday, U.S . Defense, Democrat, Senate Armed Services Committee, Republican, United, Thomson Locations: Gaza, Israel, WASHINGTON, BAGHDAD, Iraq, America, Erbil, Iranian, Syria, U.S, Iran, Syrian, Sudani's, Baghdad, IRAQ, IRAN, Tehran, Iraqi, Lebanon, Russian, Washington, TEHRAN, Yemen, Ukraine, China, pullout, Afghanistan, Ohio, Beirut, United States

☆ Drone attack targets Iraq's Harir base, sirens sound at US embassy
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-08 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

BAGHDAD, Nov 8 (Reuters) - An armed drone targeted al-Harir airbase hosting U.S. forces in northern Iraq, two security sources said on Wednesday, following sirens warning of a possible attack at the U.S. embassy in Baghdad. The sirens sounded at the U.S. embassy on Wednesday evening, several people in Baghdad's heavily-fortified Green Zone that houses the embassy said, but there were no reports of projectile impacts or casualties. A spokesperson for the U.S. embassy and an Iraqi government security official did not immediately respond to requests for comment. A group called the "Islamic Resistance in Iraq" claimed responsibility for the latest attack, saying in a statement that it targeted al-Harir airbase with two drones. Among the bases were Ain al-Asad in western Iraq, a military base near Baghdad's international airport and Harir in Erbil.

Persons: Mohammed al, Sudani, Asad, Timour Azhari, Grant McCool, Daniel Wallis, Diane Craft Organizations: Harir, U.S, U.S ., Hamas, Israel, Thomson Locations: BAGHDAD, Iraq, Baghdad, Baghdad's, Syria, Israel, Iran, Ain, Harir, Erbil

☆ Armed drones shot down over Iraq airport where US forces based
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-07 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

CAIRO, Nov 7 (Reuters) - Three armed drones were shot down on Tuesday in two separate attacks over Erbil airport in northern Iraq where U.S. forces and other international forces are stationed, Iraqi Kurdistan's counter-terrorism service said in a statement. The attacks are the latest in a series on U.S. troops in Iraq and Syria as tensions soar in the Middle East over the Israel-Hamas war. A group called the "Islamic Resistance in Iraq" said it targeted Al-Harir military base, which is about 70 km northeast of Erbil airport. The defence system at a military base near the airport successfully defended against the drones, the statement said. Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed al-Sudani has pledged to pursue those responsible for recent attacks on three military bases in Iraq hosting international coalition advisers, including Ain al-Asad in western Iraq, a military base near Baghdad's international airport and Harir in Erbil.

Persons: Al, Mohammed al, Sudani, Asad, Amina Ismail, Nick Macfie, Jason Neely Organizations: U.S . Defense Department, Coalition, U.S, Iraqi, Thomson Locations: CAIRO, Erbil, Iraq, U.S, Iraqi, Syria, East, Israel, Ain, Harir

☆ Blinken Visits Iraq in Bid to Prevent Gaza Spillover
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-05 | by ( Nov. | At P.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +2 min

Washington wants to prevent a wider regional conflict and has stepped up diplomacy with regional countries whose populations have been angered by Israel's assault on Gaza. Blinken landed at Baghdad’s international airport, donned a ballistic vest and traveled by Black Hawk helicopter to the Green Zone, a remnant of the U.S. occupation of Iraq after its 2003 invasion. At the U.S. ambassador’s residence he was briefed on threats to U.S. facilities, before heading to the prime minister’s office. Iran-backed group Kataib Hezbollah issued a warning on Saturday night that the expected Blinken visit would be met with "an unprecedented escalation." Iraqi armed groups aligned with Iran have threatened to target U.S. interests with missiles and drones if Washington intervened to support Israel against Hamas in Gaza.

Persons: Antony Blinken, Blinken, Mohammed al, Sudani, Asad, Hezbollah's, Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah, Simon Lewis, Hugh Lawson, Conor Humphries Organizations: West Bank, U.S, Iraqi, Baghdad’s, Black, Green Locations: BAGHDAD, Iraq, Israel, Baghdad, . Washington, Gaza, Turkey, Iran, Syria, Gaza . Iraqi, Ain, Harir, Iraqi, Erbil, Lebanon, U.S

☆ Blinken visits Iraq in bid to prevent Gaza spillover
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-05 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Persons: Antony Blinken, Mohammed Shia, Al Sudani, Blinken, Mohammed al, Sudani, Asad, Hezbollah's, Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah, Simon Lewis, Hugh Lawson, Conor Humphries Organizations: Hamas, West Bank, U.S, Iraqi, Baghdad’s, Black, Green, Thomson Locations: Baghdad, Israel, Palestinian, Iraq, BAGHDAD, . Washington, Gaza, Turkey, Iran, Syria, Gaza . Iraqi, Ain, Harir, Iraqi, Erbil, Lebanon, U.S

☆ 900 US troops have deployed or are deploying to Middle East amid heightened tensions
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-26 | by ( Haley Britzky | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

CNN —Roughly 900 US troops have been deployed or are deploying to the Middle East amid heightened tensions in the region after a series of attacks on coalition bases that resulted in minor injuries for almost two dozen troops. “These include forces that have been on prepare to deploy orders, and which are deploying from the continental United States,” Pentagon spokesman Brig. Of those, 19 — 15 at Al Assad Air Base in Syria, and four at Al-Tanf Garrison in Iraq — have been diagnosed with traumatic brain injury (TBI), Ryder said. That is in addition to US troops already in Iraq and Syria – roughly 2,500 and 900, respectively – and Navy assets that were announced to be heading to the region. The USS Dwight D. Eisenhower Carrier Strike Group has been directed to the Middle East, and the USS Gerald R. Ford Carrier Strike Group is currently in the Eastern Mediterranean Sea.

Persons: Pat Ryder, Fort Bliss Texas, Fort, ” Ryder, Ryder, “, Tanf Garrison, Iraq —, ”, Sabrina Singh, Dwight D, Gerald R Organizations: CNN, Pentagon, “, Defense, Patriot, Hamas, Israel, Al Assad Air Base, Al, Erbil Airbase, Eisenhower Carrier Strike, Ford Carrier Strike Locations: United States, Fort Bliss, Fort Sill , Oklahoma, Fort Liberty , North Carolina, Cavazos , Texas, Israel, Iran, Iraq, Syria, Erbil

☆ U.S. Strikes Iranian-Linked Targets in Syria
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-26 | by ( Eric Schmitt | More About Eric Schmitt | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +5 min

The targets represent a significant escalation in striking facilities used by Iran’s own forces in the region, not just the militias in Iraq and Syria that it helps arm and train. “These narrowly tailored strikes in self-defense were intended solely to protect and defend U.S. personnel in Iraq and Syria,” Mr. Austin said. Since Oct. 17, Iran-backed militia have carried out at least 12 rocket or one-way attack drone strikes against U.S. troops in Iraq and at least four attacks in Syria, Brig. There are 2,500 troops in Iraq and 900 in Syria, mainly helping local allies conduct counterterrorism missions against the Islamic State. “I believe there is concern that our bases in Syria and Iraq, especially Syria, could be attacked by a wave of drones and it could overwhelm the defenses currently there,” Mick Mulroy, a former defense official and retired C.I.A.

Persons: Biden, Lloyd J, Austin III, Mr, Austin, ” Mr, “, Patrick S, Ryder, ” Mick Mulroy, General Ryder, Al Asad, we’ve, ” Organizations: Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps, American, U.S, ”, Hamas, U.S ., Pentagon, Iran, The Defense Department, Al Asad, Al Asad Air Base, Islamic Locations: States, Syria, Iraq, Iran, East, U.S, Iranian, United States, Israel, Lebanon, Persian, Erbil, Al Asad Air, Brig, Islamic State

[1/2] Iraqi students gather during a protest in support of Palestinians in Gaza as the conflict between Israel and Hamas continues, in Baghdad, Iraq, October 18, 2023. REUTERS/Ahmed Saad/File photo Acquire Licensing RightsWASHINGTON, Oct 22 (Reuters) - The U.S. State Department said on Sunday U.S. citizens should not travel to Iraq after recent attacks on American troops and personnel in the region. The travel advisory says, "Do not travel to Iraq due to terrorism, kidnapping, armed conflict, civil unrest, and Mission Iraq’s limited capacity to provide support to U.S. There has been a spike in attacks against U.S. forces in Iraq and Syria since the conflict between Israel and Hamas militants in Gaza broke out. "Because of security concerns, U.S. government personnel in Baghdad are instructed not to use Baghdad International Airport," the State Department said on Sunday.

Persons: Ahmed Saad, Antony Blinken, Lloyd Austin, Kanishka Singh, Josie Kao Organizations: Hamas, REUTERS, Rights, U.S . State Department, Sunday U.S, U.S, Embassy, Consulate, State Department, United, Area Defense, Pentagon, Thomson Locations: Gaza, Israel, Baghdad, Iraq, U.S, Syria, Iranian, Yemen, Embassy Baghdad, Erbil, Iran, Washington, United States

The Biden administration has advised Israel to delay a ground invasion of Gaza, hoping to buy time for hostage negotiations and to allow more humanitarian aid to reach Palestinians in the sealed-off enclave, according to several U.S. officials. American officials also want more time to prepare for attacks on U.S. interests in the region from Iran-backed groups, which officials said are likely to intensify once Israel moves its forces fully into Gaza. Mr. Biden also spoke to the leaders of Canada, France, Germany, Italy and Britain. When Mr. Biden met with the Israeli war cabinet during his trip to Tel Aviv last week, he avoided making requests of Mr. Netanyahu, officials said. Instead, the president offered a series of questions that should be answered before a ground invasion starts.

Persons: Biden, Benjamin Netanyahu, Lloyd J, Austin III, Austin, Yoav Gallant, Gallant, ”, Antony J, Blinken, “, Mr, Netanyahu Organizations: Sunday, U.S, Defense, Pentagon, Embassy, Hamas, CBS, Biden, Press, State Department, Consulate Locations: Israel, Gaza, Iran, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Britain, U.S, Washington, Qatar, United States, Baghdad, Erbil, Iraq, ”, Tel Aviv

☆ U.S. Tells Nonemergency Personnel to Leave Embassy in Iraq
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-22 | by ( ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

The State Department said it ordered eligible family members and nonemergency U.S. government personnel on Friday to depart the U.S. Embassy in Baghdad and the U.S. consulate in Erbil “due to increased security threats against U.S. personnel and interests.”“Do not travel to Iraq due to terrorism, kidnapping, armed conflict, civil unrest, and Mission Iraq’s limited capacity to provide support to U.S. citizens,” the new advisory said. The department said in a written statement on Sunday that given the circumstances, it would maintain its travel advisory for Iraq at a Level 4, or “do not travel.”

Persons: ” Organizations: State Department, Embassy, U.S, Iraq Locations: U.S, Baghdad, Erbil “, Iraq

☆ U.S. says it thwarted drone attack on its troops in Iraq
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-18 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

TEL AVIV, Oct 18 (Reuters) - The U.S. military thwarted an attack targeting its forces in Iraq early on Wednesday, intercepting two drones before they could strike, two U.S. officials said after the first such attack on U.S. forces in Iraq in more than a year. The one-way attack drones were intercepted as they attempted to strike Iraq's al Asad air base, which hosts American troops, the officials said. Last week he threatened to target U.S. interests if Washington intervened to support Israel. Dozens of members of the Popular Mobilisation Forces (PMF), the state paramilitary organisation that contains many Iran-backed factions, took to the streets on Tuesday to condemn the hospital attack. Demonstrators chanted anti-U.S. and anti-Israeli slogans and said they wanted to storm the U.S. embassy for its support of Israel.

Persons: Iraq's al Asad, Joe Biden, Israel, Ali al, Hadi Al, Amiri, Washington, Kataib, Phil Stewart, Amina Ismail, Ahmed Rasheed, Ahmed Saad, Clarence Fernandez, Nick Macfie Organizations: U.S, Reuters, American, Hamas, Islamic, Israel, Hezbollah, United, Popular, Forces, ., Thomson Locations: TEL AVIV, Iraq, U.S, Washington, Iran, Israel, Gaza, Al, Ahli, Israeli, United States, Iraqi, Badr, America, Syria, State, Baghdad, Tel Aviv, Erbil

☆ Over 100 dead after fire rips through Iraq wedding hall
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-27 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

[1/20]A victim of the fatal fire at a wedding celebration lies at a hospital in Erbil, Iraq September 27. Survivors said hundreds of people were at the wedding celebration, which followed an earlier church service, and the fire began about an hour into the event when flares ignited a ceiling decoration as the bride and groom danced. REUTERS/Azad LashkariERBIL, IRAQ

Persons: Azad Lashkari Locations: Erbil, Iraq, Azad, Azad Lashkari ERBIL, IRAQ

☆ A massive Iranian missile attack on a US base offered a glimpse of the long-lasting injuries US troops will face in a war with Russia or China
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-28 | by ( Paul Iddon | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

In January 2020, Iran fired nearly a dozen ballistic missiles at an Iraqi base housing US troops. The hundreds of US troops at the base experienced what has been described as "the largest ballistic attack against Americans in history." The troops only received a few hours of warning, and the base had no air defenses capable of intercepting the missiles. US soldiers inspect damage from Iranian missiles at Al Asad air base on January 13, 2020. The Al Asad attack was a relatively small-scale demonstration of the lethal dangers that US troops will face on the battlefields of the future.

Persons: Qassem, Al Asad, Saddam Hussein, John Davison, Robert Hales, TBIs, Sarah Mattison, Kenneth McKenzie, McKenzie, Paul Iddon Organizations: Service, Reuters, US, American College of Surgeons, Iranian, Anadolu Agency, Getty, US Air National Guard / Tech, Marine Corps, Senate Armed Services Committee, US Central Command Locations: Iran, Wall, Silicon, Iranian, Iraq, Baghdad, Erbil, Al, Handout, Ukraine, Vermont

☆ Iraq to unblock Telegram app as platform responded to security requirements -statement
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-12 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

A 3D printed Telegram logo is placed on a computer motherboard in this illustration taken January 21, 2021. The app is widely used in Iraq for messaging but also as a source of news and for sharing content. Some channels contain large amounts of personal data including the names, addresses and family ties of Iraqis. "We can confirm that our moderators took down several channels sharing personal data. However, we can also confirm that no private user data was requested from Telegram and that none has been shared."

Persons: Dado Ruvic, Amina Ismail, David Evans Organizations: REUTERS, Telegram, Thomson Locations: ERBIL, Iraq

☆ Iraq to trade crude oil for Iranian gas to settle power debt - PM
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-11 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

July 11 (Reuters) - Iraq will begin trading crude oil for Iranian gas to end the recurring issue of payment delays to Tehran due to the need for U.S. approval, Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia Sudani said on Tuesday. By trading Iraqi crude for Iranian gas, Sudani said, Iraq would avoid rolling power cuts every summer while working to complete gas capture and extraction projects that would help make the country self-sufficient. The United States has pushed Iraq, OPEC second-largest producer, to cut its reliance on Iranian gas. Iraq spends roughly $4 billion per year on imports of Iranian gas and power while burning massive quantities of natural gas as a byproduct of its hydrocarbons sector. On Monday Iraq signed a massive deal with French oil major TotalEnergies that includes plans to capture gas from oilfields in the southern Basra region.

Persons: Mohammed Shia Sudani, Sudani, Farhad Alaaldin, Henry Rome, Timour Azhari, Arshad Mohammed, David Gregorio, Stephen Coates Organizations: Iraqi, Reuters, State Department, Biden, Washington Institute for Near, Policy, Monday Iraq, Thomson Locations: Iraq, Tehran, Iran, Baghdad, Washington, United States, OPEC, Basra, Erbil

☆ How a record-setting 'Ugly Baby' mission allowed US special operators to outmaneuver Iraqi forces
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-29 | by ( Stavros Atlamazoglou | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

US special-operations forces wanted to infiltrate northern Iraq to tied down Iraqi forces there. Operation Ugly BabyA map of the Ugly Baby mission route along Iraq's western border on March 22, 2003. US Green Berets in an MC-130H heading to Iraq during Operation Ugly Baby on March 22, 2003. A US special-operations aircraft that was forced land by enemy fire during Operation Ugly Baby in March 2003. In all, Task Force Viking numbered about 400 special operators, including elite Delta Force commandos, Green Berets from the 10th Special Forces Group, and frogmen from the UK's Special Boat Service.

Persons: —, Saddam Hussein, Elwell, JOSEPH BARRAK, Baby, Stavros Atlamazoglou Organizations: Service, Operation, US, Allies, US Army, Operation Iraqi, NATO, Turkish, Special Forces, Green Berets, Air, Special Operations Squadron, Detachment Alpha, Air Force, Task Force, US Army 173rd Airborne Brigade, Getty, Delta Force, 10th Special Forces Group, CIA, Republication Guard, Hellenic Army, 575th Marine Battalion, Army, Johns Hopkins University, Johns Hopkins, School, International Locations: Iraq, Operation Iraqi, Baghdad, reorienting, Turkey, Kurdish, Turkish, Romania, Jordan, Syria, Erbil, AFP, Afghanistan, Al Qaeda, Johns

☆ An Iraqi historian was slain after being labeled a spy on Facebook. Exclusive emails show catastrophic delays in removing threatening posts.
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-21 | by ( Tekendra Parmar | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +12 min

Hisham al-Hashimi reached out to his friend Aws al-Saadi, a Meta Trusted Partner, to ask him to take down posts endangering his life. "One of the reasons for his killing was Meta," al-Saadi told Insider. "Mainly because they assumed that the slow response times had to do with a high volume of cases." Aws al Saadi, a Meta trusted partner, outside the Erbil Citadel in Iraq. Internews hopes this might help create a trusted-partner channel with improved communication, more transparency, and faster response times.

Persons: Hisham al, Hashimi, Saadi, Saadi Al, Meta, al, Saadi isn't, Meta's, Internews, Paul Barrett, University's, Barrett, Rafiq Copeland, Internews Rafiq Copeland, Copeland, Thaier, Sudani Internews, Copland, Meareg Amare, Reem Makhoul Organizations: ISIS, Facebook, Meta, Center for Business, Human Rights, NYU Stern School of Business Meta, Partners, University's Stern School of Business, Global, Internews, Ukrainian, Ethiopian, Erbil Citadel Locations: Baghdad, Iraq, al, Myanmar, Ethiopia, New, Ukraine, Tigray, Hashimi, Iraqi, Erbil, Netherlands

The budget deficit is estimated at a record 64.36 trillion Iraq dinars, more than double the last budget deficit in 2021, according to a budget document and lawmakers. The budget sets the exchange rate for oil revenues in U.S. dollars at 1,300 dinars per dollar. It will remain valid through 2025, though it is subject to amendment, including to the oil price it uses given its near-total dependence on oil revenue. To break even, Iraq required an oil price of $96 bpd, it said, while the price averaged $71.3 bpd in May. Baghdad previously had no say over Kurdistan's expenditure of oil revenues, with Kurdistan unilaterally exporting crude via Turkey despite Baghdad's objections.

Persons: Mohammed Nouri, Ahmed Tabaqchali, Ahmed Rasheed, Timour, Shri Navaratnam, Robert Birsel Organizations: Media, REUTERS, London School of Economics Middle East Center, Monetary Fund, Thomson Locations: Baghdad, Iraq, REUTERS BAGHDAD, Kurdistan, Iraqi, Turkey, Erbil, Iraq's, Kurdish, Ankara

☆ Turkey's runoff election is paralyzing key oil exports from northern Iraq
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-25 | by ( Ruxandra Iordache | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +6 min

Oil typically flows through Turkey from both the Iraqi state and the semi-autonomous Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG). More specifically, this Kirkuk crude flows down the Iraq-Turkey Pipeline linking the north of the Gulf country with Turkey's Ceyhan port in the Mediterranean. But the flows have been paralyzed since March 25 by a legal dispute involving federal Iraq, the KRG and Turkey. This decision led to U.S. companies deciding to exit contracts in Kurdistan and deterred some KRG oil buyers from further purchases. "The ruling party in Turkey [Erdogan's AKP] wants to settle the elections and then deal with KRG's oil with Baghdad."

Persons: KRG, Hayan Abdul, Ghani, —, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Kemal Kilicdaroglu, Lawk Ghafuri, Yerevan Saeed, Saeed, Bilal Wahab, Wagner Organizations: CNBC, Kurdistan Regional Government, Turkey Pipeline, International, Commerce's, Reuters, ICC, Baghdad, BTC, Kurdistan, Gulf Institute, Sinjar, Washington Institute for Near East Locations: Turkey, Ankara, Baghdad, Iraqi, Kurdistan, Kirkuk, Iraq, Basra, Paris, U.S, Ceyhan, Baku, Syria, Erbil, Yerevan, Washington

April 24 (Reuters) - Iraq's northern oil exports showed few concrete signs of an imminent restart after a month of standstill, as aspects of an agreement between Baghdad and the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) have yet to be resolved, according to four sources. Baghdad and Erbil, the capital of Iraq's semi-autonomous Kurdistan region, signed a temporary agreement on April 4 to restart northern oil exports. The KRG and Iraq's oil ministry did not respond to requests for comment. Iraq's lack of willingness to discuss these issues has frustrated Turkey, according to one source. Fields which are still running include Khurmala, which has reduced output from around 135,000 bpd to 100,000 bpd, according to a source familiar with field operations.

☆ The US and its allies are stuck in a violent cycle with Iran-backed militias who want blood but don't want to 'poke the bear'
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-16 | by ( Jake Epstein | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +11 min

But even still, miscalculation is possible, and these deadly exchanges nearly sent the US and Iran to war just a few years ago. In response, two US Air Force F-15E fighter jets carried out airstrikes later that evening against IRGC Quds Force facilities in Syria, killing eight Iran-backed militants. Angel Ruszkiewicz"We do not seek conflict with Iran, we don't seek escalation with Iran," Pentagon Press Secretary Brig. "As soon as the Iranian special forces and their proxies showed up in Syria, the Israelis started hitting them. The next day, Iran-backed militias attacked US forces near Hasakah, killing the American contractor.

☆ Iraq calls on Turkey to apologize for attack on Sulaymaniyah airport
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-08 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Erbil, April 8 (Reuters) - Iraq called on Turkey on Saturday to apologize for what it said was an attack on Sulaymaniyah airport in Iraq's north, saying the Turkish government must cease hostilities on Iraqi soil. A Turkish defence ministry official told Reuters that no Turkish Armed Forces operation took place in that region on Friday. Turkey has conducted several large-scale military operations including air strikes over the decades in northern Iraq and northern Syria against the Syrian Kurdish YPG militia, Islamic State and the outlawed Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK). Claims of an attack came days after Turkey closed its airspace to aircraft travelling to and from Sulaymaniyah due to what it said was intensified activity there by PKK militants. The outlawed PKK, which has led an insurgency against the Turkish state since 1984, is considered a terrorist organisation by Turkey, the United States and the European Union.

Iraq, OPEC's second largest oil producer, exports the bulk of its oil through its southern Gulf port of Basra. An Iraqi oil ministry official with knowledge of the meeting said the aim was to reassure the companies that their deals with the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) were secure. Baghdad and the KRG signed a temporary agreement on Tuesday to restart northern oil exports as part of efforts to end decades of political and economic disputes. Petraco confirmed its presence at talks in Baghdad and said it was currently awaiting further developments. Further complicating the picture, Kurdistan has borrowed billions of dollars from trading houses and oil producers, including to build a new pipeline to Turkey, pledging to repay debts from future oil exports.

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