Politician: The region is practicing political blackmail and has only committed to delivering oil for two months.
Politician: The region is practicing political blackmail and has only committed to delivering oil for two months.
9-24-2025
Information/Exclusive:
Political affairs researcher Haider al-Moussawi confirmed on Wednesday that the oil agreements between the federal government and the Kurdistan Region are now caught in a vicious cycle, with the region pledging to deliver oil to Baghdad each time, only to renege on its commitments shortly thereafter. He pointed out that Erbil is engaging in political blackmail and exploiting the oil issue to achieve its own gains.
Al-Moussawi told Al-Maalouma News Agency, “The oil agreement with the region is repeated in the same form every year. It begins with pledges from the Erbil government to deliver its oil shares, but then it quickly backs down.” He explained that “the region has only actually committed to delivering oil for two months throughout its history.”
He added that “Erbil is not content with reneging on agreements, but is also engaging in extensive oil smuggling operations away from the federal government’s sight, in a dangerous violation of Iraq’s economic sovereignty.” He noted that “the regional government is adopting a policy of political blackmail in its dealings with Baghdad, using economic issues as leverage to achieve narrow partisan interests.”
Al-Moussawi pointed out that “the region has recruited electronic armies and media platforms working to weaken the Shiite component and target the south through the media, in an attempt to confuse the political landscape and change the course of public opinion.”
It is worth noting that the oil issue between Baghdad and Erbil remains one of the most complex and contentious issues, amid parliamentary and political calls for radical solutions that guarantee state sovereignty and prevent tampering with national resources.
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