Interviews

Q&A: Bassim Mohammed Khudair, Deputy Oil Minister for Upstream

Iraq's top upstream oil official confirms that production, curtailed by war, is ready to surge back online — but only once ships can reliably resume Basra Gulf export loadings.

Deputy Oil Minister Bassim Mohammed Khudair (center) and Basra Oil Company Director General Bassim Abdul Karim (right) tour part of the Ratawi project led by TotalEnergies in February 2026. (Photo credit: Oil Ministry)

May 8, 2018

Q&A: Mohammed Khurshid, head of KDP in Kirkuk

The KRG's ruling Kurdistan Democratic Party is trying to retain influence and win votes in Iraq's national elections despite losing control of key disputed territories.

May 8, 2018

Q&A: Fazil Basharati, member of KDP leadership council

A leading member of the KRG's ruling Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) discusses fractures among Kurdish parties and the prospects for unification in Baghdad.

May 3, 2018

Q&A: MP Ali al-Allaq, running on Haider al-Abadi’s list

A senior Dawa Party member allied with the prime minister in May 12 elections talks about party divisions and predictions for Abadi's Nasr list.

May 2, 2018

Q&A: Abdul Mahdy al-Ameedi, chief of Iraq oil contracts

The head of the Oil Ministry's Petroleum Contracts and Licensing Directorate discusses negotiations with Exxon, Iraq's new oil contract terms, the future of Kirkuk, and much more.

May 2, 2018

Q&A: Rebwar Karim Mahmood of the Coalition for Democracy and Justice party

The CDJ's leader in Sulaimaniya discusses his party, recently founded by former KRG PM Barham Salih, and the contours of future Kurdish political alliances.

May 2, 2018

Q&A: Abdulsatar Majid of the Komal party

A politburo member of a small but influential party in Kurdistan talks about the obstacles to Kurdish cohesion in Baghdad, and the changes the party is demanding in Erbil.

Apr 25, 2018

Q&A: Rabun Marouf of the New Generation party

The head of New Generation's Erbil office discusses the creation of a new party to challenge Kurdistan's political duopoly.

Apr 20, 2018

Q&A: Yousif Mohammed, Gorran’s leader in Sulaimaniya

The former KRG Parliament Speaker, once banned from Erbil, predicts a strong party showing but difficulties aligning with other Kurdish parties after next month's election.

Apr 17, 2018

Q&A: Farid Asasard, PUK leadership council member

Less than a month before national elections, a member of the PUK's leadership council talks about Kurdish party in-fighting, the struggle for a united stand in Baghdad and the impact on Kurdistan's oil sector.

Apr 8, 2018

Q&A: Ihsan Ismaael, Basra Oil Company director general

Basra's top oil man discusses developing Majnoon after Shell, plus myriad projects to repair and upgrade offshore export capacity.