Iraq’s new oil probe unlikely to hold Iran accountable

Shafaq News – Baghdad

Iraq’s newly formed committee to investigate Iranian oil smuggling is unlikely to deliver accountability, repeating the failures of past inquiries, the Foundation for Defense of Democracies (FDD) reported.

The Washington-based think tank noted that Iran earns billions of dollars annually through illicit schemes that blend Iranian oil with Iraqi exports, supported by Iraqi businesses, factions, and officials.

Recent US Treasury sanctions also targeted networks that disguised Iranian shipments as Iraqi. According to FDD, the trade is facilitated by Iraqi businesses, government figures, and Iran-backed factions that exert influence over state institutions. It added that previous Iraqi investigative committees have rarely imposed meaningful consequences on actors aligned with Tehran.

FDD urged Washington to press Baghdad to guarantee impartial staffing and unrestricted access for the committee. If the investigation proves superficial, the group warned, the United States should expand sanctions to include Iraqi oil officials complicit in Iran’s sanctions evasion.

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