Article: "Exclusive: America stipulates the dismantling of factions in exchange for releasing $30 billion of 'Saddam's
money' " Quote: “Washington had previously promised to release this financial guarantee, and action was supposed to be taken on it during Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi’s visit to Washington. However, the US administration did not instruct Congress to approve the disbursement of the suspended financial guarantee, which is estimated at $30 billion.”
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🚨🇮🇶 $30 BILLION STILL ON THE TABLE? Iraq's Reform Path Continues! 💰
A new report claims that the release of an estimated $30 billion remains tied to Iraq's continued progress in strengthening state authority, combating corruption, and ensuring that all weapons remain under government control.
Whether or not every detail of the report is ultimately confirmed, one thing is clear: Iraq continues to move forward with reforms that the international community has been emphasizing for years.
For those of us following Iraq's monetary reform, these developments are another reminder that lasting economic change is built on a strong foundation of security, transparency, and financial stability.
The road may take time, but every reform completed brings Iraq one step closer to achieving its long-term economic goals. Stay focused on the progress—not just the headlines.
🚨 CONNECT THE DOTS! THE CBI ISN'T MAKING RANDOM MOVES... THERE'S A STRATEGY BEHIND IT! 🇮🇶🏦💳
The Central Bank of Iraq (CBI) continues to move aggressively toward modernizing Iraq's financial system.
In its latest high-level meeting with licensed electronic payment providers, the CBI announced several major priorities designed to accelerate Iraq's transition to a digital economy.
Among the initiatives discussed were:
💳 Expanding electronic payment services across Iraq.
🏪 Increasing Point-of-Sale (POS) terminals throughout the country.
🌍 Requiring payment providers to comply with international financial standards.
🔒 Strengthening payment security and preventing card misuse.
🏦 Integrating payment companies more closely with Iraq's licensed banking system.
💵 Most importantly... reducing Iraq's dependence on cash.
At first glance, many people may read this as just another banking update.
I don't.
When you step back and connect all the developments we've been watching over the past several months, a much bigger picture begins to emerge.
The CBI has been systematically working to:
✅ Modernize Iraq's banking sector.
✅ Expand financial inclusion.
✅ Increase the use of the Iraqi dinar through electronic payments.
✅ Improve transparency across the financial system.
None of these reforms appear to be isolated. They all point toward building a stronger, more stable monetary environment.
📌 This brings me back to something Dr. Sinan Al-Shabibi taught years ago.
The former Governor of the Central Bank repeatedly explained that before any monetary reform involving the Iraqi dinar, Iraq must maintain inflation in the single digits.
Think about that for a moment.
How does a central bank help keep inflation under control?
✔️ By improving control over the money supply.
✔️ By reducing excessive cash circulating outside the banking system.
✔️ By increasing transparency in financial transactions.
✔️ By strengthening confidence in the banking sector.
✔️ By implementing modern payment infrastructure.
✔️ By reducing opportunities for illegal currency activity.
Sound familiar?
Because that's exactly what we're watching the CBI implement today.
💡 In my opinion, every proactive measure the CBI is taking has a purpose.
These aren't random policy changes.
They're pieces of a much larger monetary reform strategy that has been developing step by step.
No, this article does not announce a revaluation.
But it does demonstrate that the Central Bank continues to strengthen the very economic and financial conditions that central banks typically seek before implementing major monetary reforms.
🇮🇶 Sometimes the biggest clues aren't found in dramatic announcements... they're found in the steady, consistent actions taking place behind the scenes.
📖 Read beyond the headlines. Connect the dots. The strategy often reveals far more than the news itself.
CENTRAL BANK OF IRAQ OUTLINES ROADMAP TO REDUCE CASH RELIANCE AND EXPAND DIGITAL SERVICES
The Central Bank of Iraq (CBI) held an expanded meeting on Tuesday with licensed electronic payment providers to accelerate the nation’s digital financial transformation, strengthen financial inclusion, and curb card misuse. Chaired by CBI Governor Nizar Nasser Hussein, the meeting centered on executing the regulator’s strategic roadmap to modernize Iraq’s payment ecosystem and transition away from a cash-heavy economy.
Addressing representatives from the sector, Al-Alaq stated that the upcoming phase demands a noticeable increase in service quality, efficiency, and system reliability to build public trust in digital transactions.
Key Objectives and Strategic Focus
During the session, the central bank outlined several operational and regulatory priorities:
Compliance with Global Standards: The CBI urged payment firms to adhere strictly to international frameworks, particularly regarding cross-border financial transactions. Compliance is expected to enable higher card transaction limits and facilitate the rollout of new financial products.
Countering Card Misuse: Regulators and payment companies discussed joint enforcement procedures to prevent card misuse and enhance payment network security.
Expanding Acceptance Networks: Al-Alaq called on providers to expand POS (Point-of-Sale) acceptance networks, streamline digital collection processes, and deepen integration with licensed commercial banks.
The initiative comes as part of broader government efforts to modernize the national economy, reduce cash dependency, and implement modern financial infrastructure across both the public and private sectors.
Turkey is preparing to introduce a draft law aimed at facilitating the disarmament of PKK members, with Erbil and Slemani expected to serve as assembly centers for those who lay down their arms under the proposed framework.
🚨🇹🇷🇮🇶 TURKEY MOVES TOWARD PKK DISARMAMENT FRAMEWORK — WHAT THIS COULD MEAN FOR IRAQ’S STABILITY!
Turkey is preparing a draft law aimed at creating a pathway for PKK members to lay down their arms, with Erbil and Sulaymaniyah (Slemani) expected to serve as possible assembly centers for those who enter the proposed process.
This development represents another major step in the region’s ongoing efforts toward security, political stability, and reducing armed conflicts. A more stable environment between Turkey, the Kurdistan Region, and Iraq could strengthen conditions for trade, investment, and economic growth.
🇮🇶 As Iraq continues moving through major reforms, including efforts to strengthen institutions, improve security, and modernize its economy, regional stability remains a key factor for future progress.
A source identified by the author as a contact within the Central Bank of Iraq (CBI) has shared three important insights that could help explain where Iraq currently stands in its monetary reform process.
📌 First, the contact indicates that there is still no official timeline for the revaluation (RV). However, once a formal schedule is established, the contact expects to be aware of it. This reinforces the idea that the process continues to move through official channels rather than being driven by rumors or speculation.
📚 Second, one of the most significant statements is that the CBI is expected to launch another nationwide educational campaign to prepare Iraqi citizens for exchanging their current currency for a new set of banknotes. Public awareness campaigns have historically been viewed as an important step before any large-scale currency transition, making this a development worth watching closely.
⚖️ Third, according to the contact, the biggest obstacles delaying Iraq's monetary reform are not economic indicators such as non-oil revenues. Instead, the primary issues remain:
🔹 The disarmament of militias and armed factions. 🔹 Continued political and security stability. 🔹 The passage and implementation of the long-awaited Oil & Gas Law (HCL).
🏛️ These comments suggest that Iraq's monetary reform is closely tied to broader political, legal, and security reforms. While many investors focus exclusively on exchange rates, the source emphasizes that establishing a stable environment remains a critical prerequisite before the final stages of the reform can move forward.
📈 Although no official date has been announced, the expectation of a public education campaign, combined with ongoing efforts to strengthen state authority and complete key legislation, continues to fuel speculation that Iraq is steadily advancing toward the next phase of its economic transformation.
⚠️ As always, these statements are attributed by the author to a CBI contact and should not be interpreted as official announcements from the Central Bank of Iraq. Investors should continue to monitor official CBI and Iraqi government communications for confirmed developments.
🇮🇶 The coming months could prove to be some of the most important yet for Iraq's monetary reform journey.
🚨🇮🇶 IRAQ TAKES ANOTHER STEP TOWARD STABILITY! Could This Be Another Piece of the RV Puzzle?🇮🇶✨
According to reports from Al-Mada, Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi is preparing to travel to Tehran to seek Iran's cooperation in encouraging armed factions to surrender an estimated 8 ballistic missiles and hundreds of drones before the government's September 30 deadline.
Why does this matter? 🤔
✅ A stronger Iraqi government with full control over security is essential for long-term economic growth. ✅ Stability helps protect the 48 agreements recently signed with the United States in the areas of energy, finance, and technology. ✅ The continued return of Iraqi banks to the global correspondent banking network supports Iraq's financial modernization. ✅ Every step toward stronger institutions and the rule of law builds confidence for international investors.
For those following Iraq's monetary reform, this is another reminder that security, political stability, and economic reform often move forward together. While this report does not confirm an RV, it reflects continued efforts to strengthen the foundations of a modern and globally connected Iraq.
🌍 Every reform completed brings Iraq one step closer to achieving its long-term economic vision.
Stay informed. Stay patient. Watch the progress. 🇮🇶💙
AL-ZAIDI TRAVELS TO TEHRAN SEEKING (removal of ) EIGHT BALLISTIC MISSILES BELONGING TO THE FACTIONS… AND TRUMP IS WATCHING
(Mnt Goat:I look at these visits as reporting in to Iran. Iran must then agree whatever to Iraq and US agreed to accomplish or else it does not get done. Let’s hope this trip to Iran is not the same and is really all about disarming the factions inside Iraq)
In a true test of his promises to US President Donald Trump and his return to the country yesterday, Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi is preparing to visit Tehran on July 23, a trip reminiscent of his predecessors’ (as Tehran has traditionally been the next stop for any prime minister after Washington). According to Al-Mada newspaper, information indicates that al-Zaidi will ask the Iranian side to exert pressure on armed factions (groups outside state control that refuse to disarm) to release what is known as the “ballistic missile card” and hand over the hidden missiles (estimated at about 8 ballistic missiles and hundreds of drones) before September 30, the deadline set by the government to resolve the issue of uncontrolled weapons.
This move comes in coordination with the diplomatic arrangements witnessed in Baghdad yesterday, Sunday, through the meeting of the Undersecretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Muhammad Hussein Bahr al-Uloom, with the Iranian Ambassador, Kazem Al-Sadiq, to discuss the agenda of the visit, at a time when political circles warn that any failure of Al-Zaidi to dismantle this weapon will negatively affect the overall great gains he brought back from Washington, which included the signing of 48 agreements and memoranda of understanding in the energy, finance and technology sectors, as well as the return of Iraqi banks to the global correspondent network.
Statement
After five busy days in Washington, Prime Minister Ali Faleh al-Zaidi returns to the destination that has traditionally been the next stop for any Iraqi prime minister: Tehran. But this time the visit does not appear to be an extension of protocol, but rather a test of whether the promises he brought from the American capital will hold up at the first Iranian turn.
Informed political sources told Al-Mada that Al-Zaidi will request, during his visit to Iran scheduled for July 23, that Tehran exert pressure on the armed factions to release what the sources describe as the “ballistic card,” and hand over the missiles in their possession before September 30, the date set by the government to end the issue of weapons outside the state.
The sources add that the meetings in Tehran will focus primarily on the groups that are now described within government circles as “rebels,” who refuse to disarm, while estimates indicate that they are hiding hundreds of drones, in addition to at least “8 ballistic missiles,” which they obtained from Iran, and refuse to hand them over at the instigation of Tehran.
The sources believe that the government is now facing a crucial test. If al-Zaidi is unable to fulfill his pledge to disarm the militias by the end of September, many of the gains he brought back from Washington will be threatened.
“An opportunity to get rid of Iran’s influence”
For his part, former diplomat Ghazi Faisal believes that al-Zaidi’s visit represents a qualitative shift in Iraqi-American relations after years of stagnation, noting that relations were affected by the failure to appoint an American ambassador in Baghdad, the continuation of rocket attacks on the American embassy and the Kurdistan Region, and more than 600 attacks targeting American interests and attributed to factions allied with the Iranian Revolutionary Guard.
Faisal tells Al-Mada that Iraq has suffered in recent years from the difficulty of achieving a balance between its relations with Tehran and Washington, and that Iranian influence has been strongly present in political decision-making. He adds that the current visit gives Baghdad a wider opportunity for political, economic and security independence.