ShafaqNews- Baghdad
Iraq hasreceived no official notice indicating a halt in US dollar shipments, aneconomic expert told Shafaq News on Wednesday, stressing that no supportinginformation appears on the US Treasury’s website.
Accordingto Mahmoud Dagher, former Director General at the Central Bank of Iraq (CBI),the rumors are being amplified by parties seeking to take advantage of thecurrent media environment as political negotiations over government formationcontinue.
“Whilethe speculation may weigh on public sentiment, it has not driven any unusualswings in the exchange rate,” he added, noting that current fluctuations remainwithin a normal range typically associated with periods of regional tension.
Dagherfurther indicated that physical dollar shipments arriving by air from theUnited States account for only about 7% of Iraq’s daily dollar needs, whilemost demand is covered through banking channels and transfers used to financeimports.
Stressingthat dollar liquidity remains sufficient to support trade and meet seasonaldemand, including that of pilgrims, he described the overall financialsituation as relatively stable despite ongoing geopolitical pressures.
Earliertoday, the Wall Street Journal reported that the United States blocked thetransfer of roughly $500 million in Iraqi oil revenues to Baghdad, pointing toUS dissatisfaction over Iraq’s “slow progress” in curbing Iran-aligned armedfactions.
