US NETWORK REVEALS TRUMP’S STRATEGY IN IRAQ – URGENT
Oil Price Network revealed in a report published today, Sunday, July 6, 2025, that US President Donald Trump is “moving dynamically in Iraq” to implement a new strategy through which he is attempting to confront Chinese and Russian influence in the world.
The network said, as translated by Baghdad Today, that American involvement in Iraqi affairs “is now becoming increasingly deep,” stressing that “it appears that the American president has a strategy centered around two aspects:
1.Through the first, he is trying to force Iran to negotiate by imposing multiple pressures on it, and thus its influence in Iraq.”
2.”The second aspect of Trump’s strategy is an attempt to draw Iraq closer to the Western, and specifically American, sphere of influence, and to reduce Chinese and Russian influence in Iraq, thereby reducing the influence that is now growing in the region.”
The network concluded its report by noting that Trump is also attempting to achieve these goals by threatening economic sanctions against the government in Baghdad and using Iraq’s relationship with Iran as a means of pressuring the Iraqi government.
Article quote: "Oil exports made up 91% of Iraq's $107 billion federal revenue in 2024."
It used to be 95%. 91% means at least they're going in the right direction. They need to diversify their budget a little bit more. They can't rely so much on oil prices..
.Iraq has got to maintain $84 per barrel in order to keep from running a deficit for the year...Right now t's at $68.65 nowhere near that $84.
This isn't good for Iraq...This is not a stable situation...They have a lot of very big projects...
that are really going to benefit their economy...It's just going through the process of getting to that [tipping] point that's a pain in the butt.
AN EXPERT WARNS OF THE US FEDERAL RESERVE’S RESTRICTIONS ON IRAQ’S FINANCIAL AUTONOMY
Economic expert, Diaa Mohsen, confirmed on Wednesday that Iraq still lacks independent economic decision-making due to the restrictions imposed by the US Federal Reserve on its funds, warning of the repercussions of the continuation of this situation on the country’s financial autonomy.
Mohsen said in a statement to Al-Maalouma Agency, “After Iraq was released from Chapter VII in 2011, the United States deposited its funds in the US Federal Reserve under the pretext of protecting them,” noting that “the returns resulting from these deposits are much less than what could have been achieved if these funds were invested by the Iraqi government directly or through partnerships with various countries.”
He explained that “Iraq’s continued exposure to these restrictions is unacceptable and deprives it of significant economic opportunities,” stressing that “Iraq’s liberation from the authority of the US Federal Reserve would revive the national economy and open broader horizons for financial development.”
He added that “Iraq remaining hostage to US decisions makes it vulnerable to financial sanctions in the event of any political dispute with Washington, as the latter can simply seize Iraq’s funds or prevent their disposal.”
(The pressure is building for “full” independence. Will Trump give it to them? All I can say now is “I told you so”.)
"It appears that the American president has a strategy centered around two aspects:
Through the first, he is trying to force Iran to negotiate by imposing multiple pressures on it, and thus its influence in Iraq."
"The second aspect of Trump's strategy is an attempt to draw Iraq closer to the Western, and specifically American, sphere of influence, and to reduce Chinese and Russian influence in Iraq, thereby reducing the influence that is now growing in the region."
"Trump is also attempting to achieve these goals by threatening economic sanctions against the government in Baghdad and using Iraq's relationship with Iran as a means of pressuring the Iraqi government. Join Mnt Goat as we explore Trumps's policy towards Iraq. What will it bring us?
EXPERT WARNS: IRAQ’S FINANCES ARE UNDER “AMERICAN PRESSURE”… AND THE GUARDIANSHIP ENDED IN 2022.
Economic expert Ahmed Abdel Rabbo called on the Iraqi government to review the international legal framework for depositing Iraq’s funds in the US Federal Reserve, stressing that continuing to work under Security Council Resolution No. 1483 issued in 2003 is no longer justified after the reasons for which the “Development Fund for Iraq” was established have ended.
In a statement to “Jarida Platform,” Abdul Rabbo said , “In 2021, Iraq paid the full $52.4 billion in compensation for the invasion of Kuwait, and in 2022, the Security Council approved Resolution 2621, which officially ended the international claims file and closed the United Nations Compensation Commission, which removes the main legal cover for keeping Iraq’s funds under direct American supervision.”
He added, “Despite this development, the United States continues to exert economic pressure by restricting dollar transfers from Iraq’s account in New York, causing disruptions in the foreign exchange market and unstable increases in the dollar’s exchange rate against the dinar.”
Abdul Rabbo stressed the need for the Iraqi government to “take the initiative to request a review of Security Council Resolution 1483 and work to diversify foreign reserves, as countries that rely on a currency basket are less vulnerable to the risks of dollar fluctuations.” He called for “the formation of a currency basket comprising no less than 20% of the total reserves, which exceed $100 billion.”
He pointed to the importance of “establishing a sovereign wealth fund to invest oil surpluses under independent and transparent management, similar to Norway’s experience, to achieve sustainability for future generations and reduce the need to hold cash abroad.” He explained that “developing the local financial system, accelerating digital transformation, strengthening the role of private banks, and activating financial hedging tools are urgent priorities.”
At the end of his remarks, Abdul Rabbo emphasized that “achieving Iraq’s economic sovereignty requires unity in political and diplomatic decision-making, and clear parliamentary support for the government in any international financial negotiations, particularly with the Security Council and the International Monetary Fund,” noting that “Iraq is not a poor country, but a rich one.”