Kurdistan’s Oil Lifeline at Risk as Baghdad Payments Fall Short Again

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Why This Matters

The Kurdistan Region of Iraq is facing a fiscal crisis due to underpayment from the Federal Government of Iraq, reviving a long-standing dispute that may impact oil exports and regional stability.

Market Impact

Market impact analysis based on bearish sentiment with 80% confidence.

Sentiment
Bearish
AI Confidence
80%
Time Horizon
Short Term

Article Context

Note: This is a brief excerpt for context. Click below to read the full article on the original source.

The Kurdistan Region of Iraq (KRI) is once again edging toward a fiscal breaking point. Officials in its Erbil-based semi-autonomous regional government (KRG) say they are receiving only a fraction of the budget transfers they are owed under the current oil-for-budget payments arrangement with the Federal Government of Iraq (FGI) in Baghdad. This revives the same dispute that triggered the collapse of the deal in March 2023 and shut down the crucial Iraq-Turkey Pipeline (ITP) for more than two years. Erbil argues that Baghdad’s shortfalls…

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Original article published by OilPrice.com on January 21, 2026.
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