Iraq rejects US claims of sanctioned Iran oil smuggling
In early July, the US State Department sanctioned six entities and identified four vessels as having 'knowingly engaged in a significant transaction for the purchase, acquisition, sale, transport, or marketing' of Iranian petroleum products.
Among the sanctioned entities was a network of companies run by Iraqi businessman Salim Ahmed Said accused of having 'profited from smuggling Iranian oil disguised as, or blended with, Iraqi oil'.
On Friday, the director of Iraq's state oil marketing company SOMO denied any Iraqi role in such sanctions evasion.
'There are no smuggling or (petroleum) blending operations at Iraqi ports or in its territorial waters,' Ali Nizar told the official INA press agency.
'It is totally false to speak of the existence of sites allowing the smuggling of Iraqi oil and mixture with oil from neighbouring countries.'
On Tuesday, an AFP journalist, at the invitation of authorities, accompanied naval personnel on an operation to inspect the paperwork of oil vessels in territorial waters off southern Iraq.
Iran has denounced US sanctions on its oil sector, calling a subsequent round of restrictions in late July a 'a malicious act aimed at undermining the economic development and welfare of the Iranian people'.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Shafaq News
30 minutes ago
- Shafaq News
Iraq, Turkiye form joint customs body to boost trade
Shafaq News – Ankara Iraq and Turkiye agreed to form a joint committee to enhance cooperation between their customs authorities, the Iraqi Embassy in Ankara announced on Wednesday. The embassy revealed in a statement that during a meeting in Ankara, the two sides discussed mechanisms to improve efficiency at border gates and strengthen customs cooperation, reaffirming their commitment to raising trade volume to $30 billion, strengthening joint investments, and expanding cooperation through the Development Road project and the establishment of new customs outlets. Talks also addressed ways to ease trade flows, increase the capacity of border crossings, and support infrastructure projects linked to bilateral trade and transit. Turkiye and Iraq's economic relationship is multifaceted and deeply intertwined, extending beyond simple trade to include critical sectors like energy, infrastructure, and construction.
Rudaw Net
an hour ago
- Rudaw Net
US senator warns PMF bill grants Iran ‘backdoor' into Iraq
Also in Iraq Iraq-Iran new security deal updates 2023 agreement: Security advisor Iraq's water crisis spurs calls to block Turkish companies Eighth batch of Yazidi remains from ISIS genocide laid to rest in Shingal Baghdad nearing oil deal with Erbil, negotiating new export agreement with Ankara A+ A- ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - The controversial bill to restructure the Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF, or Hashd al-Shaabi) without prior disarmament is 'ill-advised' and would solidify Iranian influence over Iraq, a US senator said on Wednesday, calling on Baghdad to choose between Tehran and the West. Washington has expressed increasing caution about a potential bill that seeks to organize the Popular Mobilization Commission (PMC) - a government board created to bring the PMF under state control. The bill, which has divided lawmakers, aims to regulate the PMF's structure, salaries, and retirement benefits, a politically sensitive issue given the PMF's central role in Iraq's security framework and the political influence it wields. 'This move would be ill-advised. Integrating Iranian-aligned militias into the Iraqi military, without first requiring them to disarm and demobilize, gives Iran a back door into the Iraqi government to undermine its sovereignty,' Allison Aprahamian, Press Secretary at Senate Foreign Relations Committee, told Rudaw in an email, citing a statement from Republican Senator James Risch, of Idaho. He called on Iraq to choose between Tehran and the West, saying, 'This is where the rubber meets the road - Iraq must choose between being held back by Iran or a brighter future with the West.' Although the PMF was officially incorporated into the Iraqi security apparatus and granted formal legal status by parliament in 2016, many of its factions still operate independently, with impunity, and reportedly maintain strong ties to Iran. Some have been involved in attacks on US forces in Iraq and Syria and remain openly hostile to Washington. In late July, an attack by Kataib Hezbollah - a powerful Iran-backed Iraqi militia designated by the US as a Foreign Terrorist Organization and a PMF component - on an agriculture ministry office in Baghdad killed three people. The PMF is composed of various armed factions, including groups designated as terrorist organizations by the US. Among them is Asaib Ahl al-Haq (AAH), whose leader Qais al-Khazali is a senior member of the Shiite-led Coordination Framework, a key component of Iraq's governing coalition. In March, AAH and the State of Law Coalition boycotted a parliamentary session after the PMF bill was excluded from the agenda, forcing its postponement. Rebaz Ali contributed to this report.
Shafaq News
an hour ago
- Shafaq News
762 Yazidi victims unearthed from Sinjar mass graves
Shafaq News - Sinjar Authorities in the Kurdistan Region announced on Wednesday the recovery of the remains of 762 Yazidis killed by ISIS from mass graves in Sinjar, Nineveh province. According to Hussein Qaidi, Head of the Kurdistan Region's Office of Kidnapped Affairs, only 298 victims have been identified through DNA analysis and returned to their families for burial. The other remains await forensic confirmation. Qaidi criticized the Iraqi government for its 'negligence' and delay in handling the mass graves file, calling for urgent international intervention. 'This humanitarian issue is not receiving the attention it deserves,' he said. 'Out of 91 documented graves, only 23 have been opened. The rest remain sealed, some for nearly a decade.' Meanwhile, Iraqi MP Mohammad Khalil said 93 mass graves have been located in Sinjar, yet over half remain untouched. He blamed governmental inaction and 'failure' to follow through on Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani's pledges to normalize the region, support victims' families, and address the fate of the missing. Khalil also criticized the stalled Sinjar Agreement, signed in October 2020 between Baghdad and Erbil to demilitarize the region, enable reconstruction, and facilitate the return of displaced residents. 'The agreement remains ink on paper,' he said, citing the continued presence of irregular armed groups and deep political divisions as key obstacles. Earlier today, Sinjar held a somber ceremony marking the return of 22 newly identified victims, part of the eighth official batch of remains to be laid to rest. Families of the deceased, local officials, and international representatives attended. Nine years after the 2014 genocide, Sinjar remains scarred by mass graves, unfulfilled promises, and a fragile security situation. Yazidi leaders and human rights advocates continue to demand international assistance, warning that failure to act risks burying justice with the dead.
