Kurdish Policy Analysis

  Aziz Ahmad, deputy chief of staff to Kurdistan Region Prime Minister Masrour Barzani, on Sunday called on the federal government to lift the trade embargo imposed on the Kurdistan Region, warning that the restrictions have severely disrupted commerce, halted oil exports, and exacerbated economic and security challenges in the region. Ahmed emphasized that the KRG’s position has been consistent: there is only one request — lift the embargo enforced since January 1, which has effectively blocked formal bank transfers for imports. The embargo has forced businesses to rely on informal trade channels, with importers paying premiums of up to 15% on dollars. Commodity and food prices have risen across Iraq, while the KRG’s local non-oil revenues have declined, undermining its capacity to make the monthly salary transfers to public sector employees in the region. The official highlighted that Erbil has repeatedly offered solutions to Baghdad to safeguard national interests and maximize b...

  Iraq Faces Growing Crisis Amid Escalating Iran War Conflict Iraq is increasingly becoming a battleground in the ongoing Iran war, facing strikes from both Iranian and U.S. forces that threaten to spiral the nation into deeper chaos. As the conflict approaches its two-week mark, Iraq’s situation worsens daily, characterized by disruptions to Gulf shipping and numerous attacks on its oil fields and essential infrastructure. This has severely hampered the country’s oil exports, which are vital for Baghdad’s economy—over 90% of government revenue relies on oil trade. Kurdish officials have indicated that should the shutdown of oil exports persist, the Iraqi government could find itself unable to meet its extensive public-sector payroll by next month, raising the specter of widespread unrest. In an effort to mitigate this, the federal government has sought to negotiate with northern Kurdish leaders to resume exports through a pipeline to Turkey. However, these discussions remain stall...