Shafaq News- Baghdad
The United States has resumed someair shipments of US dollars to Iraq, months after suspending them to pressureBaghdad to distance itself from Tehran, The New York Times reported onThursday, citing two aides to Prime Minister Ali Al-Zaidi.
Government spokesperson HaiderAl-Aboudi told the newspaper that "the problem has been resolved,"while Prime Minister Ali Al-Zaidi's financial adviser, Mudhar Mohammed Salih,confirmed the transfers had restarted.
The Trump administration halted theshipments in April, withholding the country's own funds generated from oilsales. The decision coincided with negotiations over Iraq's new government, asWashington opposed candidates it considered close to Tehran and pressed Baghdadto bring Iran-linked armed groups under tighter state control.
Iraqi officials disclosed at thetime that the US had suspended cooperation with and financial support forIraq's security services. The restrictions remain in place, according toanother Iraqi official cited by the newspaper.
Baghdad and Washington hadpreviously agreed on banking rules requiring greater transparency in transfersfrom Iraq's foreign currency reserves held at the Federal Reserve Bank of NewYork, aiming to curb illicit dollar flows to criminal networks, moneylaundering, and financing for militant groups in neighboring countries,including Iran.
The US did not oppose Al-Zaidi'sappointment after he took office in late April. He subsequently ordered allarmed groups to come under state authority, and his government later setSeptember 30 as the deadline for surrendering unlicensed weapons under its ministerialprogram, which seeks to establish the state's monopoly over arms throughdesignated committees.
: Iraq to place armed factions' weapons under statecontrol: What we know so far
The development comes ahead of thePM's expected official visit to Washington in mid-July. An informed source toldShafaq News that Al-Zaidi plans to discuss the release of one of the Iraqifinancial guarantees held in the United States, estimated at about $30 billion,alongside economic and investment issues. The trip will be followed by visitsto several countries, including Iran.
: Iraq PM al-Zaidi to Washington with energydeals front, “militia file” unresolved
