EXCLUSIVE: No talks on US sanctions during trade delegation visit to Iraq

Shafaq News/ The Iraqi government did not discuss the US sanctions on Iraq with the American trade delegation that recently visited Baghdad, a lawmaker confirmed on Sunday.

Speaking with Shafaq News Agency, Adnan al-Zurfi, a member of the Parliamentary Finance Committee, described the visit as “positive,” noting that American companies are valuable and have a significant impact on strengthening economies worldwide.

He welcomed the implementation of government contracts to boost the country’s economy, confirming that “the Iraqi government did not discuss the issue of lifting sanctions on certain Iraqi companies and banks with the US delegation.”

On Wednesday, Iraq signed three memoranda of understanding with US entities, including an agreement described by Baghdad as "the largest in the history of the electricity sector" in the country.

However, the agreements have drawn political criticism, with officials describing them as “continuing a pattern of contracting with suspicious entities.”