Politics

Analysis: Iraqi elections approach, with high stakes for energy sector

Political insiders weigh in on potential election outcomes and their implications for the country’s investment climate.

Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani (center) and Oil Minister Hayyan Abdulghani (right) attend a ceremony to mark the opening of a 50 MW power plant at the Baiji refinery on Aug. 2, 2025. (Photo credit: Oil Ministry media office)

Sep 27, 2023

Loans begin to flow, but KRG faces uphill battle for financial security

Baghdad has begun implementing a three-month deal to enable payments for Kurdistan's civil servants, prompting political backlash.

Sep 23, 2023

Technical talks signal potential progress on Iraq-Turkey Pipeline

Recent meetings show renewed efforts to set terms for reopening the export pipeline, but top-level political approval is hardly assured.

Sep 19, 2023

Baghdad approves 3-month stop-gap funding for KRG

Three monthly loans of $538 million promise temporary relief to pay civil servant salaries, but unresolved questions loom for Kurdistan's oil industry.

Sep 15, 2023

Oil veterans bring energy expertise to Prime Minister’s Office

Fayadh Nema and Falah Alamri have deep relationships in the Oil Ministry and decades of experience with hot-button energy issues.

Sep 12, 2023

Budget stalemate threatens Kurdistan’s solvency and stability

Baghdad takes a hard line against budget transfers to KRG as negotiations falter, prompting civil servant strikes and imminent protests.

Sep 9, 2023

Iraq-Turkey negotiations highlight big barriers to northern pipeline restart

High-level diplomacy has failed to make progress, and a recent U.S. legal filing from Turkey suggests a new phase of adversarial action.

Aug 18, 2023

Upcoming Iraq-Turkey diplomacy aims for pipeline progress

Imminent ministerial-level visits to Baghdad and Ankara are likely to address major challenges to restarting Iraq’s northern exports.

Aug 15, 2023

Drone strikes highlight perils of Turkey-PKK war for Iraqi Kurdistan

Increasingly frequent attacks deep inside KRG territory pose danger for civilians and underscore challenges for diplomacy.

Aug 9, 2023

Fractious Iranian Kurdish dissidents pose challenge for KRG stability

A splintering of opposition groups in Iraqi Kurdistan is complicating efforts to meet Iranian demands for secure borders in order to avoid more drone and missile attacks.

Aug 9, 2023

KRG starts work to expand gas pipeline network

Construction is underway on a new pipeline to bring gas supplies from the Khor Mor field up to Dohuk.