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By John Lee.
Contrary to recent reports that the US had granted a waiver to Iraq to allow it to continue buying power from Iran, a State Department spokeswoman reportedly said on Wednesday that this was not the case.
Reuters quotes Morgan Ortagus as telling reporters that Secretary of State Mike Pompeo has not made a decision on this issue.
(Source: Reuters)
IN THEIR SHOES 5K – 2019
A Benefit for Iraq’s Orphans & Most Vulnerable Children
Saturday, June 22, 2019
Check In: 7AM Race: 8AM
US Patent and Trademark Office
600 Dulany St.
Old Town Alexandria, VA US 22314
Honorary Co-Chairs
His Excellency Fareed Yasseen, Ambassador of Iraq to the United States
Ambassador Ryan Crocker (Ret.), Former US Ambassador to Iraq, Recipient of Presidential Medal of Freedom
5K YOUNG AMBASSADORS ICF’s 5K “Young Ambassadors” return again this year! Teeba, Ala’a, and Humoody came to the US from Iraq during the war. Teeba was in a car bombing as a baby. Ala’a was abandoned because he had cerebral palsy. Humoody was shot in the face. On June 22, all three will be the voices for other very vulnerable kids who remain in Iraq.
THE IRAQI CHILDREN FOUNDATION intervenes in the lives of Iraqi kids who are vulnerable to abuse, neglect, and recruitment by criminals, traffickers, and extremists. Through funds raised by the 5K, ICF provides access to education, legal protection, rescue from the streets and child labor, medical care, clothing, and fun. The last two 5Ks helped fund the colorful new HOPE BUS 1 & 2 that provide tutoring and nutrition to some of Iraq’s most at-risk children. ICF is a US based, tax-exempt 501(c)(3) charity (26-1394773).
COURSE INFORMATION:
ICF 5K Course Map Out and back on Eisenhower Avenue. Start/finish at Patent and Trademark Office.
TRANSPORTATION/PARKING:
Free Parking available at USPTO Building West Parking Garage Located on 550 Elizabeth Lane, Alexandria, VA 22314. Metro: Convenient to the Eisenhower Ave. and King Street Metro stations (Yellow/Blue line).
IN THEIR SHOES 5K – 2019
A Benefit for Iraq’s Orphans & Most Vulnerable Children
Saturday, June 22, 2019
Check In: 7AM Race: 8AM
US Patent and Trademark Office
600 Dulany St.
Old Town Alexandria, VA US 22314
Honorary Co-Chairs
His Excellency Fareed Yasseen, Ambassador of Iraq to the United States
Ambassador Ryan Crocker (Ret.), Former US Ambassador to Iraq, Recipient of Presidential Medal of Freedom
5K YOUNG AMBASSADORS ICF’s 5K “Young Ambassadors” return again this year! Teeba, Ala’a, and Humoody came to the US from Iraq during the war. Teeba was in a car bombing as a baby. Ala’a was abandoned because he had cerebral palsy. Humoody was shot in the face. On June 22, all three will be the voices for other very vulnerable kids who remain in Iraq.
THE IRAQI CHILDREN FOUNDATION intervenes in the lives of Iraqi kids who are vulnerable to abuse, neglect, and recruitment by criminals, traffickers, and extremists. Through funds raised by the 5K, ICF provides access to education, legal protection, rescue from the streets and child labor, medical care, clothing, and fun. The last two 5Ks helped fund the colorful new HOPE BUS 1 & 2 that provide tutoring and nutrition to some of Iraq’s most at-risk children. ICF is a US based, tax-exempt 501(c)(3) charity (26-1394773).
COURSE INFORMATION:
ICF 5K Course Map Out and back on Eisenhower Avenue. Start/finish at Patent and Trademark Office.
TRANSPORTATION/PARKING:
Free Parking available at USPTO Building West Parking Garage Located on 550 Elizabeth Lane, Alexandria, VA 22314. Metro: Convenient to the Eisenhower Ave. and King Street Metro stations (Yellow/Blue line).
By Mustafa Saadoun for Al Monitor. Any opinions expressed here are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of Iraq Business News.
US grants Iraq reprieve to continue buying Iranian gas
The United States has decided to grant Iraq a third 90-day sanctions waiver so it can continue to purchase gas from its sole provider, Iran, giving Baghdad some much-needed breathing room.
On May 22 in Baghdad, Joey Hood, US chargé d’affaires in Iraq, stressed to reporters that the waivers will not continue indefinitely, so the United States is working with Iraq to reduce its dependence on Iran.
Iraq faces a tough challenge in developing its potential
Writing in the Financial Times, Nick Butler argues that while the security situation across Iraq is probably better than at any time in the past three decades, success is not preordained.
Iraqi Foreign Minister Mohammad al-Hakim said his country would stand by the Iranian nation and government in the era of US sanctions against Tehran.
Iraq stands with Iran and is willing to act as an intermediary between its neighbor and the United States, Hakim said on Saturday speaking in a press conference with his Iranian counterpart Mohammad Javad Zarif in Baghdad.
He added that Baghdad does not believe an “economic blockade” by the US could be fruitful, according to Reuters.
Zarif, for his part, condemned the US sanctions and said Tehran would strongly defend itself against any military or economic aggression and called on Europe to do more to preserve the 2015 nuclear deal between Tehran and world powers.
In May 2018, the US president pulled his country out of the JCPOA, which was achieved in 2015 after years of negotiations among Iran and the Group 5+1 (Russia, China, the US, Britain, France and Germany).
Ever since, the EU has failed to make good on its promise to save the nuclear deal and facilitate Iran’s economic trade with the international community.
The Iranian minister also said that the Islamic Republic wanted to build balanced relations with its Persian Gulf Arab neighbors and that it had proposed signing a non-aggression pact with them.
(Source: Tasnim, under Creative Commons licence)
By John Lee.
Iraq’s Ministry of Oil has announced final oil exports for April of 103,988,607 barrels, giving an average for the month of 3.466 million barrels per day (bpd), up from the 3.377 million bpd exported in March.
These exports from the oilfields in central and southern Iraq amounted to 100,635,009 barrels, while exports from Kirkuk amounted to 2,570,000 barrels, and from Qayara 783,598 barrels.
Revenues for the month were $7.021 billion at an average price of $67.514 per barrel.
March export figures can be found here.
(Source: Ministry of Oil)
Washington has exempted Baghdad from some of its unilateral sanctions against Tehran, allowing Iraq to continue importing energy from Iran, according to the US envoy to Baghdad.
Baghdad can now buy energy from Iran, US charge d’affaires Joey Hood told reporters on Wednesday, Iran’s Press TV reported.
The waiver will allow Iraq to continue buying gas and electricity from Iran.
The administration of US President Donald Trump said in March it was extending a 90-day waiver for the second time to let Iraq continue energy imports from Iran.
The US envoy did not explain whether he was referring to the same waiver Washington gave Baghdad in March or he was declaring the issuance of new exemptions.
Gas imports from Iran generate as much as 45 percent of Iraq’s 14,000 megawatts of electricity consumed daily. Iran transmits another 1,000 megawatts directly, making itself an indispensable energy source for its Arab neighbor.
Iraq and Iran share a 1,400-kilometer-long border. For their run-of-the-mill maintenance, Iraqis depend on Iranian companies for many things from food to machinery, electricity, natural gas, fruits and vegetables.
(Source: Tasnim, under Creative Commons licence)
By Mustafa Saadoun for Al Monitor. Any opinions expressed here are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of Iraq Business News.
Has Russia begun to play a role in Iraq?
Member of the Iraqi parliament’s Security and Defense Committee Hakim al-Zamili announced May 9 that negotiations were underway to buy an S-400 air missile system from Moscow.
Russian Deputy Prime Minister Yury Borisov said during his meeting April 26 with Iraqi Prime Minister Adel Abdul Mahdi that “the number of Russian companies in Iraq is on the rise.”
Ihsan al-Shammari, head of the Iraqi Centre for Political Thought, concurred. He told Al-Monitor that “Russia is working to compete with multinational companies in central and southern Iraq, particularly in the field of energy.”
By John Lee.
Hyundai Engineering & Construction has reportedly won a $2.45-billion deal to build a seawater processing facility in Iraq.
South Korean media report that the company signed a letter of intent with Basra Oil Company (BOC) on Wednesday for the 49-month project, which will be capable of supplying 5 million barrels of fresh water per day.
This will help to increase output at Iraq’s oil fields.
(Sources: Yonhap, Korea Herald)