Iraqi oil shutdowns loom as U.S. attacks Iran

Some production is already offline and Iraqi oil officials are bracing for a total loss of southern exports.

A worker from Iraq's state-run Oil Pipelines Company repairs part of a pipeline in Babel province carrying oil products from the Shuaiba refinery in Basra, in February 2026. (Photo credit: Oil Pipelines Company)

Energy

Nationwide refining capacity surges as Baiji ramps up

Iraq can now process over 1.5 million bpd of crude, as the country's largest refinery completes a decade-long comeback.

Politics

Government formation stalemate deepens

Nouri al-Maliki's path to the premiership becomes increasingly unlikely as political power brokers struggle to contend with U.S. opposition and regional uncertainty.

Security

Kurdistan refinery protests spark deadly violence

At least one person is dead and several injured after security forces cracked down on unemployed truck drivers demanding work at the Lanaz refinery near Erbil.

Interviews

Q&A: Muntaser Kadhim Haloub, deputy director general of the South Refineries Company

Southern Iraq's refining sector is expanding, creating a better supply of high-quality fuels and rising demand for crude feedstock.