Dinar NEWS Blog – Daily

Three trillion dinars annually: A parliamentary plan reveals Iraq’s path towards oil self-sufficiency.

On Tuesday (January 13, 2026), MP Mudhar Al-Karawi presented a comprehensive strategic vision regarding the expansion of oil refineries in the country, stressing that it would support the general budget by no less than three trillion dinars annually, and contribute to creating three positive dimensions for the national economy.

Al-Karawi said in a press statement: “Expanding oil refineries in Iraq represents a strategic option with significant dimensions, based on approved technical and economic plans. Therefore, we adopt this path because it achieves three main objectives, most notably enhancing energy security, reducing dependence on imports, and maximizing the added value of crude oil.”

He adds that “this approach also contributes to supporting the national economy and protecting the country from fluctuations in global oil prices, especially since the oil derivatives market is one of the most important and fastest growing markets in the region and the world.”

Al-Karawi pointed out that “attempts to cast doubt on this program are not based on any sound scientific or economic data, and therefore it is necessary to move forward with this file because it reflects a true understanding of energy and oil industry policies, and is consistent with the requirements of long-term strategic planning that the state should adopt.”

He stressed that “expanding refineries and increasing their production capacity can contribute to supplying the treasury with revenues of at least three trillion dinars annually, which makes this program not a circumstantial option or an individual effort, but rather a fundamental pillar for achieving economic and political stability, and an important part of the comprehensive national security system.”

On January 9, 2026, economist Nabil Al-Marsoumi confirmed that oil prices had risen significantly due to escalating concerns about supplies from Iran.

Al-Marsoumi stated in a Facebook post that “the price of Brent crude rose to $63 as a result of concerns about disruptions to Iranian supplies, which produce 3.3 million barrels per day and export more than one million barrels.”

He added that “oil prices could see a significant increase if the current demonstrations and protests in Tehran turn into a military clash between Iran and both the Zionist entity and America, as happened in the last war.”

He added that “the global energy market could be severely shaken if Iran targets Gulf oil facilities or the Strait of Hormuz, because geopolitical tensions would directly affect supplies, as the region currently exports a third of global exports and a fifth of gas exports.”

Burathanews.com

Harris assures Barzani: There is no place for Iranian-backed terrorist militias in the Iraqi government.

On Tuesday, the acting US ambassador to Iraq, Joshua Harris, praised the role of Kurdish leader Masoud Barzani in supporting the Iraqi political process and calming tensions in Syria, while stressing that there is “no place” for what he called “Iranian-backed terrorist militias” in the next Iraqi government.

A statement from Barzani’s headquarters, received by Shafaq News Agency, said that “Masoud Barzani received at the Salah al-Din resort (Pir Mam), a delegation from the US Embassy in Iraq headed by Joshua Harris, the US Chargé d’Affaires in Iraq.”

The statement noted that during the meeting, which was attended by Gwendolyn Green, the US Consul General in Erbil, the US Chargé d’Affaires briefed the US Embassy on the political process in Iraq following the parliamentary elections, relations between Iraqi political parties, and efforts to form a unified federal government in Iraq.

He noted that the acting US ambassador also highlighted the situation in the region and the complexities in Syria, praising President Barzani’s continued efforts to support the Iraqi political process and calm tensions in Syria.

For his part, Barzani assured the visiting delegation that he would spare no effort in coordinating between the political parties to reach satisfactory results and form a strong federal government. He also said he would continue his efforts to resolve all problems and obstacles between the political parties on the one hand, and to address outstanding issues between the Kurdistan Regional Government and the federal government on the other.

Regarding the situation in Syria and the challenges facing the region in general, Barzani stressed that he is making serious efforts to resolve all problems peacefully through dialogue and understanding, and away from violence.

The statement concluded by saying that the meeting addressed another topic concerning relations between the Kurdistan Region and the United States, and efforts to strengthen and develop these relations.

For its part, the US Embassy in Baghdad said that Chargé d’Affaires Joshua Harris met with Masoud Barzani and discussed a number of political, security and economic issues.

The embassy said in a statement that the meeting addressed the importance of protecting Iraqi sovereignty, enhancing regional security, and strengthening mutually beneficial economic relations.

Harris reiterated, according to the statement, that “Iranian-backed terrorist militias, which ignore Iraq’s calls for disarmament, have no place in the Iraqi government in any capacity.”

The US chargé d’affaires stressed that the United States will continue to emphasize clearly and consistently the need for Iraq to act urgently to dismantle the terrorist militias that seek to achieve a foreign agenda that undermines Iraq’s sovereignty, impoverishes it, threatens Americans and Iraqis, and drags the country into a regional conflict.

Shafaq.com

The Trump administration designates Muslim Brotherhood branches in three countries as terrorist organizations.

On Tuesday, the administration of US President Donald Trump decided to designate the branches of the Muslim Brotherhood in Lebanon, Egypt and Jordan as “terrorist organizations”.

The US Treasury Department has designated the group’s branches in Egypt, Lebanon, and Jordan as terrorist organizations.

US Secretary of State Mike Rubio said, “These measures are among the first steps in efforts to thwart violence perpetrated by branches of the Muslim Brotherhood.”

Rubio added, “We will use the tools available to deprive these branches of the Muslim Brotherhood of the resources to engage in terrorism.”

The White House announced on November 25, 2025, that US President Donald Trump had signed an executive order directing the Secretaries of State and the Treasury to study whether specific branches of the Muslim Brotherhood should be designated as “foreign terrorist organizations and specially designated international terrorists.”

It is worth noting that the Muslim Brotherhood in Jordan is a dissolved group, and its activities were officially banned in April of last year, with it being considered an “illegal association” and any activity by it or the promotion of its ideas being prohibited, based on a previous judicial decision issued in 2020 that considered it “dissolved”.

Shafaq.com

The coordinating body will meet early next week to decide on al-Maliki’s nomination for prime minister.

An informed source revealed on Tuesday that the Shiite Coordination Framework forces will hold their periodic meeting early next week to decide on the nomination of State of Law Coalition leader Nouri al-Maliki for the position of Prime Minister in the new government.

The source told Shafaq News Agency that “the Shiite House forces will hold their meeting next Saturday to discuss a number of issues, including understandings between some of the active forces within the coordination framework and the political scene.”

He explained that the meeting would include “discussing the issue of nominating Maliki for the next government, and assessing the final positions of the framework leaders regarding Maliki’s nomination for the premiership for the third time.”

The source also indicated that “the withdrawal and resignation of the leader of the Reconstruction and Development Coalition, the outgoing Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani, from the race to win the premiership for the second time seems to have been a political tactic in order to put al-Maliki in front of the coordination framework, especially since there are some parties that do not want al-Maliki to return to power amidst the upcoming challenges and changes internally and regionally.”

He pointed out that the coordinating framework wants to form “a strong government acceptable to all political parties, capable of achieving balance in managing the next phase, in addition to assessing the general situation and ending the state of political stagnation and deadlock, along with other issues.”

The source added that “the issue of side understandings between some of the framework forces will also be discussed, in reference to (the understandings between the Reconstruction and Development bloc and the State of Law coalition and the formation of a unified parliamentary front), and the effects of this on the Shiite house, as it may cause the disintegration of the coordination framework.”

The spokesman for the Reconstruction and Development Coalition, Firas al-Muslawi, confirmed yesterday, Monday, that the head of the coalition, Muhammad Shia al-Sudani, had withdrawn his candidacy for the position of Prime Minister in favor of the head of the State of Law Coalition, Nouri al-Maliki, while revealing the formation of the “largest parliamentary bloc” between the two coalitions.

Al-Muslawi told Shafaq News Agency, “The coordination framework made a decision to authorize Al-Sudani and Al-Maliki to agree on the nomination of a candidate for the next prime minister. More than one meeting took place between them to discuss the government program and the upcoming challenges. Therefore, we and the leadership of the Reconstruction and Development Coalition unanimously decided (leaders and members) that Al-Sudani would withdraw his nomination in favor of Al-Maliki.”

He added that “the decision came to break the deadlock in the matter of choosing a framework candidate for the premiership and to adhere to constitutional timelines, and for several other reasons, including our concern for the interest of Iraq,” indicating that “the names included in the list of candidates are obscure names and cannot be named for this important position, which is the highest executive authority in the country.”

It is noted that a source within the Shiite coordination framework revealed to Shafaq News Agency that the forces that met last Saturday at the home of the leader of the Iraqi Foundation Coalition, Mohsen al-Mandalawi, sought clarification on the reasons that prompted the outgoing Prime Minister, Mohammed Shia al-Sudani, to withdraw from the nomination and give space to the leader of the State of Law Coalition, Nouri al-Maliki, to run.

According to the source, Maliki’s nomination was supported by most of the Coordination leaders, with the exception of the leader of the Wisdom Movement, Ammar al-Hakim, who sought the opinion of the religious authority and sent a message to the religious authority in Najaf. However, the latter renewed its refusal to interfere in the nomination of the prime minister, and thus the competition became limited to Maliki only.

Since the ratification of the election results held in November 2025, the Coordination Framework has begun holding meetings and conducting discussions among its forces and with other parties to decide on the position of Prime Minister, which is allocated to the Shiite component according to the custom in place after 2003.

Shafaq.com

Exclusive: American assessments: Striking Iran is “likely,” and Iraq is in danger.

The president of the Institute for Global Policy in Washington, Paulo Van Schirach, ruled out the possibility that US President Donald Trump would stand idly by in the face of the crackdown on protests in Iran, suggesting that a US military strike against “sensitive” targets inside Iran was likely, despite his warning of the risks of a retaliatory response that could affect US bases in Iraq and the Gulf.

Van Schirach told Shafaq News Agency that “Trump had previously warned the regime in Tehran that the United States would take action if the protesters were met with a harsh response.”

He added: “We clearly see that Iranian security forces are killing, beating, and arresting people, so I wouldn’t be surprised if Trump said: ‘I warned you and you did it, now I’m going to act.’”

Target Bank

Regarding the nature of the expected American response, the expert explained that the American administration may seek to strike “sensitive targets” such as military installations, factories, and headquarters of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard.

Van Schirach continued, saying that “Washington may also attack oil facilities and oil depots with the aim of weakening the regime, but the challenge lies in choosing targets that do not cause large civilian casualties, because attacking streets crowded with people would be a crazy idea.”

He pointed out that “the most important question remains (will it be a symbolic strike for show only, as happened previously, or a strike intended to cause serious damage to the system to facilitate a real rebellion?),” adding: “It is difficult to know what is going on in the administration’s mind right now, but the options are many.”

Van Schirach pointed out the difficulty of predicting the actions of the American president, saying that “Trump is an unpredictable figure; sometimes he threatens and does not act, as happened with Putin and Ukraine when he gave deadlines and nothing happened. There is a kind of inconsistency that makes prediction difficult.”

According to the American expert, if the Iranian regime continues its repression after an initial strike, there may be a sustained bombing campaign until they stop, although Trump does not want an invasion of Iran and does not want to see American soldiers killed abroad because that would cause him political problems.

Danger in Iraq and the region

Van Schirach also warned of the repercussions of any American attack on the region, pointing to Iranian threats of retaliation, explaining that “the Iranian regime has clearly stated that it will respond to American military targets, given the presence of American bases and a US presence in Iraq, Syria, Qatar and Bahrain.”

He concluded by saying that “Iran is not strong at the moment, but it or its proxies may resort to retaliation in these areas, which makes the scene chaotic, and yet I cannot rule out American military action in any way.”

Earlier on Tuesday, US officials reported that they had presented US President Donald Trump with new options regarding military strikes against Iran, but he had not yet made a final decision on the matter, according to US press reports.

On Monday, US President Donald Trump announced a 25% tariff on countries that do business with Iran, while simultaneously considering military action against the Iranian regime.

Shafaq.com

In one month, Iraq exported more than 7.5 million barrels of oil to America.

The U.S. Energy Information Administration announced on Tuesday that Iraq’s oil exports to the United States totaled more than 7.5 million barrels during December.

The administration stated, in a table seen by Shafaq News Agency, that Iraq exported 7.533 million barrels of crude oil to America during the month of December, recording a decrease compared to the month of November, in which Iraqi oil exports amounted to 7.950 million barrels.

She added that Iraq exported an average of 306,000 barrels per day of crude oil to America during the first week of December, while the average exports reached 181,000 barrels per day in the second week, 357,000 barrels per day in the third week, and 129,000 barrels per day in the fourth week.

She explained that Iraq ranked third among oil-exporting countries to the United States last month, after Canada, which came in first as the largest oil supplier to America, followed by Saudi Arabia in second place.

The administration noted that Iraq ranked second among Arab countries exporting the most oil to America, after Saudi Arabia, which topped the list with exports of 9.796 million barrels, while Libya came in third with exports of 2.139 million barrels.

Shafaq.com

Harris: The Kurdistan Region is a strong and pivotal partner and ally of the United States.

The acting US ambassador to Iraq, Joshua Harris, affirmed on Tuesday that the Kurdistan Region is a strong and pivotal partner and ally of the United States in the region.

This came during the reception of the Prime Minister of the Kurdistan Region, Masrour Barzani, today, by the Chargé d’Affaires of the US Embassy in Iraq, in the presence of the US Consul General to the region, Wendy Green, according to a statement issued by the Kurdistan Regional Government, which was received by Shafaq News Agency.

The statement explained that the meeting addressed ways to strengthen bilateral relations, discussed the general situation in Iraq, and reviewed the progress of negotiations between political parties aimed at forming the new federal government.

The meeting witnessed a joint affirmation of the need to respect the federal and constitutional entity of the Kurdistan Region, to secure its rights and financial entitlements, and to ensure the federal government’s continued payment of salaries to the region’s employees, particularly the salaries for the months of November and December of last year.

For his part, Harris renewed his country’s support for the region, praising the government reforms in various sectors, and stressing that the Kurdistan Region is a strong and pivotal partner and ally of the United States in the region.

In turn, the Prime Minister of the Kurdistan Region expressed his thanks and appreciation for the continued American support and assistance.

The talks also touched on another topic: discussing the latest developments and changes in the regional situation.

Shafaq.com

Al-Hilali: Al-Maliki, as the next prime minister, will cancel Al-Sudani’s recent decisions.

On Tuesday, MP Ibtisam al-Hilali, from the State of Law parliamentary bloc, confirmed that the leader of the State of Law coalition, in his capacity as the next prime minister, will cancel all decisions issued by the caretaker government headed by Mohammed Shia al-Sudani recently.

Al-Hilali told Shafaq News Agency that “the decisions issued by the government and the outgoing Prime Minister are illegal and lack constitutional legitimacy.”

She added that “the decision of the Federal Court in issue No. 213 of 2025 stipulated the termination of the fifth session of the House of Representatives and the transformation of the government of Mohammed Shia Al-Sudani into a ‘caretaker government’ with limited authority to conduct daily affairs.”

Al-Hilali indicated that “Al-Maliki will be the Prime Minister in the next Iraqi government, and in his first session he will make a decision to end all the decisions issued in the caretaker government, including the decision on incorrect taxes and customs duties, in addition to the decision to stop leaves, scholarships and transfers between employees.”

Outgoing Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani has ordered a ban on study leave for employees, and has decided to sell “surplus” state vehicles.

This came according to documents of the General Secretariat of the Council of Ministers, which were reviewed by Shafaq News Agency, and were issued based on what was decided by the Council of Ministers in its first regular session held on January 7, 2026.

The documents indicated that the Cabinet decided to approve the recommendation of the Ministerial Council for the Economy to authorize all ministries and entities not affiliated with a ministry to sell all vehicles except production vehicles belonging to them that are 15 years old or more, and to sell all production and non-production vehicles, equipment, generators, construction machinery and other machinery of all kinds that are idle and surplus to the need, regardless of the year of manufacture and belonging to all departments.

According to the documents, it was also decided to reduce the fuel quotas allocated to all ministries, non-ministerial entities, and governorates by 50 percent of the currently allocated quotas.

It was also decided to adopt the academic certificate with which the employee was first appointed in government departments as a final certificate and not to count certificates obtained during employment for all purposes and in all government departments for all specializations except for the Ministry of Higher Education to the narrowest extent.

It was also decided to stop transfers to the Ministries of Oil, Finance, Education and Higher Education and any other entity to which transfer or assignment would result in an increase in financial allocation. It was also decided to stop sending students abroad at the expense of the state for all specializations.

Shafaq.com

Ministry of Finance: Iraq achieved the second highest improvement in government globally

The Ministry of Finance announced on Tuesday that Iraq has achieved the second highest improvement globally in international governance indicators. The ministry stated in a statement that “Iraq has achieved a new international achievement within the World Governance Indicators (WGI) report issued in December 2024, according to Fitch and Standard & Poor’s agencies, as Iraq recorded the second highest improvement globally on an annual basis, reflecting the success of the reform steps adopted by the government in state institutions.”

She also noted that “official data from global indicators revealed a tangible improvement in Iraq’s global governance scores, which rose from 29.5 points in 2023 to 32.5 points in 2024. This increase represents a positive indicator of the effectiveness of the financial and administrative policies adopted to enhance transparency and efficiency.”

She also explained that “according to the report, the largest annual gains were concentrated in three vital sectors: Government efficiency: which increased by (+4.6 points), Anti-corruption: which made progress by (+4.3 points), Regulatory quality: which increased by (+4.0 points).”

She explained that “progress was not limited to administrative aspects only, but governance indicators pointed to a remarkable and comprehensive improvement in several key areas, which enhances the confidence of the international community, donors and investors in the Iraqi environment, namely: freedom of expression and accountability, political stability and absence of violence, efficiency of government performance, in addition to organizational quality, the rule of law and combating corruption.”

The report also noted that “this remarkable progress is a result of the commitment to the economic reform program, working to automate financial procedures and strengthen the principles of e-governance, as well as continuing efforts to maintain this positive outcome in a way that serves the supreme national interest and enhances Iraq’s position in international indicators.”

Burathanews.com

Ministry of Transport: Al-Faw Port enters an advanced stage of preparation for commercial operation

The Ministry of Transport announced on Tuesday that the Grand Faw Port has entered an advanced stage of preparations for commercial operation following the completion of its main berths for receiving cargo ships. Ministry spokesperson Maitham al-Safi told the official news agency that “the Grand Faw Port has entered an advanced stage of preparations for commercial operation after the completion of the main berths for receiving commercial vessels.” He added that “work is currently underway to finalize the necessary infrastructure for the port’s commercial operation and complete maritime connections with regional and international ports to ensure international competitiveness.” He pointed out that “the government is giving great attention to selecting port operators with outstanding international experience and qualifications,” explaining that “the Ministry of Transport has worked with international consulting firms and possesses the specialized expertise that qualifies it to select competent operators with world-class standards.” He continued, stating that “the first phase of the port’s operation will have a capacity of 3.5 million containers annually.”

Burathanews.com