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Showing posts with the label Kurdistan Regional

The Iraqi oil trap and its paradox: A rentier economy amidst geopolitical shocks

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In an economy dependent on oil exports, and with the disruption of crude oil tanker traffic through the Strait of Hormuz due to the US-Iranian war, the core of the problem lies not only in the volume of exports and the revenues generated from them, but also in how these revenues are managed, and in the amount of spending that depletes them. On September 22, 2026, Iraqi Prime Minister Ali Zaidi told The New York Times that Iraq had lost nearly $60 billion in oil revenue due to the war with Iran. For approximately two months, Iraq was unable to export 90% of its oil, while 90% of its economy depended on crude oil exports. Before June 2025, when the first round of the US-Israeli conflict with Iran erupted, the Central Bank of Iraq’s reserves had exceeded $110 billion, but by October 2026 they had fallen to less than $60 billion. Although Zaidi’s government managed to balance global polarization and geopolitical tensions during its first five months in office, the biggest problem was the i...
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Kurdistan’s new Washington strategy: what the Continental Strategy deal signals

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Kurdistan is professionalizing its Washington strategy at a moment when its security, energy interests and relationship with Baghdad are increasingly shaped by U.S. policy. By Dr. Pshtiwan Faraj | Kurdish Policy Analysis A revealing development in Kurdistan’s foreign-policy strategy: the KRG has retained Continental Strategy for a $75,000/month U.S. engagement effort. This is more than lobbying. It reflects Kurdistan’s attempt to build stronger political access in Washington as its security, energy and relationship with Baghdad become increasingly intertwined with U.S. policy.  The Kurdistan Regional Government of Iraq has retained Continental Strategy to promote awareness and understanding of its interests among US policymakers, business leaders and key decision-makers. The six-month contract, which went into effect July 1, calls for a $75K monthly retainer. Thereafter, the pact shall continue month-to-month unless either party provides at least thirty days written notice of non...
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Why the Kurdistan Regional Government Quietly Ended Its Washington Lobbying Contract

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  The KRG’s termination of a long-dormant lobbying agreement reflects shifting U.S. priorities, evolving Kurdish strategy in Washington, and the changing geopolitics of Iraq after the anti-ISIS era. Dr. Pshtiwan Faraj    | Sulaimani, Iraq | 06 May 2026  -- The Kurdistan Regional Government has formally terminated a lobbying registration with ArentFox Schiff LLP ,  quietly ending a Washington relationship that appears to have been inactive for years. The filing, submitted under the U.S. Lobbying Disclosure Act on April 29, 2026, officially closes out the KRG’s registration with the law and lobbying firm. Yet the most revealing detail may not be the termination itself, but the fact that every filing connected to the account since 2021 reported zero compensation. The administrative closure signals less a sudden political rupture than the formal recognition of a relationship that had effectively ended long ago. Still, the move comes at a sensitive geopolitical mom...
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The Development Road: Iraq's emerging geopolitical position between Türkiye, Iran, the Gulf and the Kurdistan Region

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Iraq’s Development Road faces political, security and regional challenges involving Kurdistan, Türkiye, Iran and Baghdad’s state capacity. The Development Road is not simply as an infrastructure or trade project, but  a geopolitical corridor whose success depends on unresolved Kurdish, Turkish, Syrian and Iranian dynamics. One can identify three Kurdish-related issues as particularly important to the corridor's political viability: Baghdad–Erbil disagreement over the northern route through the Kurdistan Region. The Türkiye–PKK peace process and its implications for northern Iraq. The future status and integration of the Kurdish-led SDF in Syria. In this article I also examine Iran's position, arguing that Tehran has so far avoided outright opposition partly because Iraq presents the project as potentially compatible with Iranian connectivity through the Basra–Shalamcheh rail link. Iraq and Türkiye completed a framework draft agreement on transport infrastructure on September 21...
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Iran-Aligned Militias Threaten Iraqi Airports Over Suspended Iran Flights

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Iran-aligned militias threaten Iraqi airports over suspended Iran flights, raising aviation security risks and tensions with Washington. As flights between Iraq and Iran, including those to and from Najaf International Airport, come to a halt amid U.S. sanctions on Iran's aviation industry, Iran-aligned militias are leading the loyalist camp's rejection of the suspension. DEVELOPMENT Borderline Advisory Services has reported that At 2100 local time on 25 September, Akram al-Ka'abi, Secretary-General of Harakat al-Nujaba (HAN), issued a statement threatening to mobilize supporters for sit-ins at Iraqi airports unless the suspension is lifted. Ka'abi also called for breaking U.S. hegemony and rebuked the governing parties for acquiescing to Washington's demands. Earlier, at 1830 local time, Kata'ib Hezbollah (KH) said that any ground handling company complying with the U.S. decision "has chosen for itself the role of a submissive backer of the U.S. and Zionis...
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The Kurdish Referendum: Between Defeat and Achievement

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  Nine years after Kurdistan’s 2017 referendum, its political, economic and strategic consequences remain deeply contested. Nine years after the Kurdistan Region’s independence referendum, debate over the referendum and its consequences for the Kurdistan Region continues. Supporters regard it as a historic achievement, while its opponents see it as a factor that weakened the Region’s position within the framework of Iraq. On September 25, 2017, the referendum process was held in the Kurdistan Region and the disputed territories. At the time, the authorities of the Kurdistan Region claimed that the process was intended to pave the way for “independence” and “separation” from Iraq. However, less than a month later, the political balance shifted dramatically against the Region. When the referendum was held in the Kurdistan Region, most political parties and factions supported the process. However, less than a month later, when the Iraqi military operation against the disputed territor...
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