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US Resumes Dollar Shipments to Iraq, New York Times Reports
Summary
The United States has reportedly resumed air shipments of U.S. dollars to Iraq after a suspension of several months, according to a New York Times report citing Iraqi officials. The halt was initially part of a move to pressure Baghdad over the actions of Iran-backed militias.
The United States has resumed some air shipments of U.S. dollars to Iraq following a suspension that began several months ago, The New York Times reported. The newspaper cited two aides to Iraq’s prime minister, spokesman Haider al-Aboudi and financial adviser Mudhar Muhammad Salih, who both confirmed the transfers have restarted.
Washington previously halted a cash shipment of about $500 million to Iraq in April. The action was reportedly taken to pressure the Iraqi government over the activities of Iran-backed militias, which the U.S. has blamed for attacks on its diplomatic facilities in the country.
While the dollar shipments have apparently resumed, the New York Times report noted that other related measures remain in effect. A suspension of certain security cooperation efforts and funding for Iraq’s security services is still in place.
AdAt the time of the original report, U.S. officials from the White House, State Department, and Treasury had not commented on the matter. The report had not been immediately verified by other news agencies.