Politics

Political disunity clouds KRG fiscal and energy outlooks

Deadlocked talks over forming a new regional Cabinet highlight a bitter rivalry between two ruling parties that poses risks to Kurdistan's economy and energy sector.

PUK President Bafel Talabni (left) meets with KDP President Massoud Barzani (right) on Sept. 27, 2025. (Photo credit: KDP presidency office)

Apr 7, 2022

Q&A: Rafeeq Hashem al-Salihi, MP from Basra and member of the Fatah Alliance

A politician, tribal sheikh, and paramilitary leader, Salihi says Basra deserves a larger portion of federal oil revenue and increased support for its agriculture sector.

Mar 31, 2022

Baghdad outlines plan for takeover of Kurdistan oil sector

To implement a landmark Federal Supreme Court decision, the Oil Ministry proposes steps to begin federal oversight of KRG oil and gas operations. Kurdish leaders remain defiant.

Mar 28, 2022

Iraq gets renewed 120-day U.S. waiver for Iranian energy imports

After years of failure to develop sufficient domestic energy supplies, Iraq still depends on unreliable imports from Iran that require special exemptions from U.S. sanctions.

Mar 22, 2022

Q&A: Judge Jasem Mohammad Abbood, head of the Federal Supreme Court

Judge Abbood discusses the legal reach of the court following the ruling invalidating the KRG’s oil deals, the disputed legal status of the Iraqi National Oil Company, and legal challenges to changing the dinar exchange rate.

Mar 18, 2022

Parliament vote signals uphill battle for Ismaael and INOC

A recent vote to remove the oil minister as the head of the Iraqi National Oil Company highlights political headwinds for Ihsan Ismaael's efforts to restructure the oil sector and maintain a foothold beyond the transition to a new government.

Mar 14, 2022

Economic reforms hampered by political divides

Iraq’s “white paper” laid out an internationally acclaimed roadmap for economic reform. But the problems are so pervasive — and political will to tackle them so weak — that progress has been slow.

Mar 8, 2022

Uncertainty deepens after landmark ruling against Kurdistan’s oil sector

Baghdad and Erbil have vastly different strategies for responding to a ruling from Iraq's highest court that invalidated the legal foundations of Kurdistan's oil sector.

Mar 1, 2022

Q&A: Ali Shaddad al-Faris, MP from Basra

One of the plaintiffs in the landmark Federal Supreme Court case against Kurdistan's independent oil sector discusses fallout from the ruling as well as Parliament's role in energy sector oversight.

Feb 15, 2022

UPDATE: Iraqi Supreme Court strikes down KRG oil sector independence

Landmark ruling rejects the legal pillars of Kurdistan's oil sector, opening a volatile new chapter in Iraq's long-standing disputes over oil powers.

Feb 3, 2022

KRG extends gas pipeline network, raising potential for exports

A new 52-inch pipeline to Dohuk, near the Turkish border, will bring feedstock to a dormant power plant — with extra capacity for more destinations in the future, including potential exports.