As hostilities with Iran resume, a shortened waiver period gives the outgoing Trump administration one last opportunity to wield economic leverage in Iraq.

A broad range of political, security, and business leaders say they expect no sea change in U.S. policy toward Iraq, while hoping for reduced tensions with Iran.

Finance Ministry issues orders to begin transferring overdue civil servant salaries after overnight approval of $10 billion borrowing law.

Legislation would provide less than one-third of the emergency funding requested by the Cabinet, and could be further delayed by Erbil-Baghdad disputes.

If the Parliament does not pass a new stop-gap financing law, the government says it cannot fund basic expenses including civil servant salaries.

Cabinet considers new borrowing legislation to fund massive deficits after political headwinds stopped attempts to pass a full 2020 budget.

When Mustafa al-Kadhimi took office, the U.S. granted Iraq a relatively long 120-day Iran sanctions waiver. That diplomatic honeymoon could be ending.