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Business Standard
a day ago
- Politics
- Business Standard
US urges citizens to avoid Iraq travel amid rising Iran-Israel conflict
The United States has issued an alert to its citizens against travelling to Iraq under any circumstances, citing the threat of terrorism, kidnapping, armed conflict, and civil unrest amid escalating regional tensions linked to the Iran-Israel conflict. The advisory comes after the US Department of State on June 11 ordered the departure of non-emergency government personnel from Iraq, underscoring the deteriorating security conditions in the country. 'Do not travel to Iraq for any reason,' the US Embassy and Consulate in Iraq said in an alert, pointing to the 'US government's limited ability to provide emergency services to US citizens in Iraq.' According to the updated travel advisory, American citizens in Iraq face a range of serious threats including violence by terrorist and insurgent groups, anti-US militia activity, and frequent attacks involving improvised explosive devices (IEDs), indirect fire, and drones. These attacks have occurred even in major urban centres. 'US government personnel in Iraq are required to live and work under strict security due to serious threats,' the Embassy said, adding that Baghdad-based staff are prohibited from using the Baghdad International Airport due to ongoing risks. The US has also cautioned against travel to areas near Iraq's northern borders, warning of aerial bombardments, armed clashes, and heightened militant activity. American nationals are particularly discouraged from attempting to cross into Syria through Iraq. 'US citizens should not travel through Iraq to engage in armed conflict in Syria,' the advisory noted. 'They would face extreme personal risks — kidnapping, injury, or death — and legal risks including arrest, fines, and expulsion.' 10-years jail for illegal border crossing The Kurdistan Regional Government has announced that those caught illegally crossing the Iraq-Syria border could face prison terms of up to ten years. Adding to the dangers, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has also issued flight advisories for civil aviation operating in and around Iraqi airspace. Travellers have been urged to check FAA regulations before making any travel decisions. Apart from security threats, regular demonstrations, protests, and labour strikes across Iraq further complicate travel and movement within the country. The Embassy warned that such events could erupt without notice and potentially turn violent. 'Don't rely on US govt assistance' For those who still choose to remain in or travel to Iraq despite the warnings, the US government strongly advises preparation of a comprehensive personal security plan, arranging legal documents such as wills and powers of attorney, and ensuring that loved ones have access to essential records in case of emergencies. 'Have departure plans that do not rely on US government assistance,' the advisory said.
Iraq Business
3 days ago
- Business
- Iraq Business
IBBC Welcomes New Member
By John Lee. The Iraq Britain Business Council (IBBC) has announced that Baghdad-based conference and business consultancy provider EMAAL has joined as a member. According to a statement from the IBBC, the business is owned and run by Dr Ali Mahjob (pictured), who previously started the Iraq24 TV station, which focuses on business. EMAAL will hold a tax reform conference in Baghdad in August, and a maritime conference focused on Al Faw in October. Dr Mahjob said: "We have known IBBC for a number of years and are delighted to be joining now our group is expanding. IBBC offers EMAAL a platform for business support in Iraq of all types, and IBBC's macro view of the economy and interaction with Government complements our practical granular level approach to private company development." IBBC Managing Director Christophe Michels welcomed EMAAL, adding: "IBBC has known Dr Ali and Iraq24 news channel, which has been very helpful to IBBC, and we look forward to collaborating with EMAAL in their new venture with our members to benefit the wider private sector in Iraq." (Source: IBBC)
Iraq Business
12-06-2025
- Business
- Iraq Business
Al-Mathar Group Acquires 4 Corners Creative Agency
By John Lee. Baghdad-based advertising firm 4 Corners Creative Agency has announced that it has been acquired in full by Al-Mathar Group, marking what it describes as, " a strategic step aimed at supporting the agency's growth and strengthening its position in both the local and regional markets. " 4 Corners was founded in 2016 by Ameer Alaa. Under the agreement, the agency's current leadership will assume advisory roles, while a new executive team will focus on innovation, regional expansion, and strategic partnerships. Al-Mathar Group, established as an engineering business in 2004, said the acquisition reflects its strong belief in the potential of Iraq's creative sector and its commitment to investing in local brands with regional impact. The group expressed its vision to transform 4 Corners into a regional hub for excellence in advertising and marketing. (Source: 4 Corners) Tags: 4 Corners Creative Agency, advertising, Al-Mathar Group, cg, featured
Yahoo
05-06-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Superpower Struggle Puts Iraqi Kurdistan's Oil Autonomy at Risk
It has been over two years since the Baghdad-based Federal Government of Iraq (FGI) placed an embargo on independent oil exports from the Erbil-based Kurdistan Region of Iraq (KRI). The legal basis for the halting of these essential flows to the finances of the semi-autonomous region of Kurdistan was the International Chamber of Commerce's (ICC) order that they would not be resumed until Turkey paid the FGI the US$1.5 billion in damages for these allegedly unauthorised oil exports over many previous years. That said, the real reason why the FGI moved to stop the KRI's independent oil sales is simply that it wants to remove any independent status from the region and roll it into the rest of Iraq as just another province like any other. Baghdad has correctly identified the best way of doing this as cutting off the KRI's key source of revenue through which it finances its semi-autonomous status – revenues from independent oil sales. Early in his new office, Iraq's Prime Minister Mohammed Al-Sudani carefully laid out this as being Baghdad's plan when he introduced the new Unified Oil Law being drafted at the time. He said that it would be run in every respect out of Baghdad, that it will govern all oil and gas production and investments in both Iraq and its semi-autonomous Kurdistan region, and that it will constitute 'a strong factor for Iraq's unity'.Unsurprisingly, the great global powers have their own views on whether the KRI should lose its semi-independent status and be subsumed into a greater Iraq. To begin with, both the U.S. and its allies, and China and its allies, know that Iraq as a whole is full of oil (and associated gas). The FGI side officially holds a very conservatively-estimated 145 billion barrels of proved crude oil reserves (nearly 18% of the Middle East's total, and the fifth biggest on the planet), according to the Energy Information Administration. Unofficially, it is extremely likely that it holds much more oil than this. In October 2010, Iraq's Oil Ministry increased its own official figure for the country's proven reserves but at the same time stated that Iraq's undiscovered resources amounted to around 215 billion barrels, as analysed in full in my latest book on the new global oil market order. This was also a figure that had been arrived at in a 1997 detailed study by the respected independent oil and gas firm Petrolog. However, even this did not include the KRI's actual and potential oil reserves. As the International Energy Agency highlighted at the time, before the relatively recent rise of exploration activity in the semi-autonomous region, more than half of the exploratory wells had been drilled prior to 1962 -- a time when technical limits and a low oil price gave a much tighter definition of a commercially successful well than would be the case today. Based on the previous limited exploration and development of oil fields in the KRI area, the proven oil reserves figure was first put at around 4 billion barrels. This was subsequently upgraded by the KRG to around 45 billion barrels but, again, this may well be a very conservative estimate of the oil resources there. Additionally important to both sets of superpowers is Iraq's geographical and geopolitical importance, located as it is in the heart of the world's greatest hydrocarbons region. In the former's case it is a key link in the land bridge from the Asia-Pacific region into Europe and in the case of the latter it is a core part of the Shia Crescent of Power dominated by Iran as a counterpoint to the Sunni style of Islam championed by Saudi Arabia. Given these factors, the stakes for both the West and the East in winning the most influence in the country – north, south or combined – are exceptionally high. To put it plainly: the U.S. and its key allies want the KRI to terminate all links with Chinese, Russian and Iranian companies connected to the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps over the long term, a senior source who works closely with the European Union's (E.U.) energy security complex exclusively told recently. 'This could then be used as a bridgehead to reassert the West's influence in the rest of Iraq through big investment deals firstly, and then related infrastructure developments,' he added. The most notable such deal in the south of Iraq so far is TotalEnergies' US$27 billion four-pronged deal, including the cornerstone Common Seawater Supply Project, analysed fully in my latest book. In the north, BP's US$25 billion deal across five major oil fields is similarly strategically vital for the West's future plans. The U.S. and Israel also have a further strategic interest in utilising the Kurdistan Region as a base for ongoing monitoring operations against Iran, according to the E.U. source. On the other side of the equation, China and Russia have long been behind the idea of subsuming the KRI into the wider Iraq. As a senior political source in Moscow exclusively told many months ago: 'Iraq will be one unified country and by keeping the West out of energy deals there, the end of Western hegemony in the Middle East will become the decisive chapter in the West's final demise.' Legally speaking, Iraq's 2005 Constitution cannot settle the matter of whether the KRI or FGI has the predominant rights over revenues from oil drilled in the KRI's area. According to the KRG, it has authority under Articles 112 and 115 to manage oil and gas in the Kurdistan Region extracted from fields that were not in production in 2005 -- the year that the Constitution was adopted by referendum. In addition, the KRG maintains that Article 115 states: 'All powers not stipulated in the exclusive powers of the federal government belong to the authorities of the regions and governorates that are not organised in a region.' As such, the KRG maintains that, as relevant powers are not otherwise stipulated in the Constitution, it has the authority to sell and receive revenue from its oil and gas exports. Additionally, it argues the Constitution provides that, should a dispute arise, priority shall be given to the law of the regions and governorates. However, the FGI maintains that under Article 111, oil and gas are under the ownership of all the people of Iraq in all the regions and governorates, which means they should be controlled by the FGI via the State Organization for Marketing of Oil. Consequently, given the lack of legal clarity on the issue, the KRI's future looks set to be determined by a straight superpower brawl. China would seem currently to have the advantage in terms of land and resources held. More than a third of all Iraq's proven oil and gas reserves and over two-thirds of its current production are managed by Chinese companies, according to industry figures. In hard numbers, Chinese companies combined have direct shares in around 24 billion barrels of reserves and are responsible for production of around 3.0 million barrels per day (bpd). Additionally, it has developed a spider's web of influence through multiple infrastructure projects that run adjunct to its oil and gas developments, as also detailed fully in my latest book. That said, the U.S. and its allies appear to be picking up the pace on building out their presence across Iraq, too, in line with the aforementioned plan to do so. In addition to the potentially game-changing projects of TotalEnergies and BP, May 19 saw two deals signed by U.S. firms HKN Energy, and WesternZagros, to develop two fields – the Miran gas field and the Topkhana oil and gas field -- in the KRI area. U.S. Energy Secretary Chris Wright was also very clear about the deeper intention behind these deals, saying that they align with the administration's broader strategy of striking commercial deals with allies to counter Iran's influence. By extension, given the extremely strong links between Tehran and Beijing and Moscow, this also means countering China's and Russia's influence across Iraq as well. By Simon Watkins for More Top Reads From this article on
Shafaq News
28-05-2025
- Shafaq News
Lions in houses: exotic pet trend grows in Iraq
Shafaq News/ Once icons of the wild, lions and tigers are increasingly appearing in Iraqi homes and farms, as a rising number of individuals turn to exotic animals as symbols of prestige and power. The practice is growing despite serious safety concerns and legal restrictions. Abbas al-Khalidi, a Baghdad-based exotic animal dealer, told Shafaq News Agency that demand for lion and tiger cubs has sharply increased. 'Most buyers are landowners or people seeking to project dominance,' he explained. 'We deliver young cubs with handling instructions through discreet channels.' Prices for these animals typically range from $2,000 to $4,000, depending on age and species. Many are smuggled from neighboring countries like Iran and Syria via poorly monitored border crossings, al-Khalidi noted. Though some view owning a big cat as a status symbol, recent attacks have underscored the inherent risks. In a recent incident in Najaf, a lion killed its owner inside his home in Kufa. A neighbor, alerted by the commotion, intervened and fatally shot the animal. Dr. Yasser Mahmoud, a veterinarian in Kirkuk, noted that such outcomes are to be expected. 'Lions and tigers may appear tame as cubs, but their instincts remain. Hunger or agitation can quickly trigger deadly behavior.' Environmental expert Salem al-Amiri warned that private ownership of wild predators without a license violates Iraqi law. 'These animals are often acquired illegally, beyond regulatory oversight. When incidents occur, authorities are often unable to track or contain them.' Although Iraq has clear environmental regulations, lax enforcement and an active black market continue to drive the exotic animal trade. Cubs are trafficked and sold at high prices with little legal accountability. Jikniz Yassin, a wildlife protection activist, argued that the issue stems not only from weak enforcement but also from a lack of public awareness. 'Many see lions or tigers as luxury possessions rather than threats,' he cautioned. 'This trend could lead to catastrophic outcomes if left unaddressed.' Yassin called for education campaigns and tougher penalties for illegal trade and unlicensed ownership. 'Keeping wild animals in inappropriate conditions puts both people and the animals at serious risk.' Hassan Hadi, who owns several lions, described caring for them as far more demanding than many realize. He outlined a rigorous care routine involving special milk formulas, gradual dietary transitions from poultry to red meat, and a strict regimen of supplements and vitamins. 'These animals require spacious, sanitary, and temperature-controlled environments, plus routine veterinary checks—conditions most owners can't provide.' Many exotic pets, he warned, suffer from malnutrition, illness, or develop aggressive behavior due to improper care. 'Daily attention and expert handling are essential. Keeping them in homes, especially in urban settings, is neither safe nor sustainable.' 'Even cubs that seem tame are still predators,' he recalled. 'One nearly killed me during feeding—I only survived with a friend's help.'
