US Threatens to Starve Iraq of Its Oil Dollars Over Iranian Influence, Sources Say
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Category: GLOBAL GOVERNMENT & ALLIANCES
Summary:
The United States has warned senior Iraqi politicians of potential sanctions against Iraq, including suspending critical oil revenue transfers, if Iranian-backed armed groups are included in the next government. This warning was conveyed over the past two months by the US Charge d’Affaires in Baghdad, Joshua Harris, to various Iraqi officials and Shi’ite leaders. The US has controlled Iraq’s oil revenue flow through an account at the Federal Reserve Bank of New York since 2003, and the threat to cut this funding is part of efforts to curb Iranian influence in Iraq. Iran-backed groups have gained parliamentary seats, with the US opposing the appointment of some individuals linked to these groups to key government positions.
Mysterion Insights
Scripture: Proverbs 21:1
"The king’s heart is like channels of water in the hand of the LORD; He turns it wherever He wishes."
Commentary:
This verse speaks directly to the reality that even dominant political players and their decisions are ultimately subject to God’s direction. When powerful nations leverage financial influence to shape government outcomes, it can feel like the future is controlled by unseen hands. For Iraq’s population, uncertainties about national destiny and outside control are tangible and unsettling. Shifting alignments and behind-the-scenes power struggles between major actors like the U.S. and Iran reflect prophetic patterns of complex entanglements and maneuvering Scripture describes for the end of the age.
Prophetic Trend:
International leverage over Middle Eastern governments intensifies, pointing to rising external influence and strategic maneuvering among influential powers.
Mysterion Prophetic Impact Rating: C - Measured  What does this mean?
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Source Excerpt:
A general view shows al-Firdous Square in Baghdad, Iraq, July 27, 2022. Photo: REUTERS/Ahmed Saad Washington has threatened senior Iraqi politicians with sanctions targeting the Iraqi state – including potentially its critical oil revenues – should armed groups backed by Iran be included in the next government, four sources told Reuters. The warning is the starkest example yet of US President Donald Trump’s campaign to curb Iran-linked groups’ influence in Iraq, which has long walked a tightrope between its two closest allies, Washington and Tehran. The US warning was delivered repeatedly over the past two months by the US Charge d’Affaires in Baghdad, Joshua Harris, in conversations with Iraqi officials and influential Shi’ite leaders, according to three Iraqi officials and one source familiar with the matter who spoke to Reuters for this story. The message was delivered to some heads of Iran-linked groups via intermediaries, they said. Harris and the embassy did not respond to requests for comment. The sources requested anonymity to discuss private discussions. Since taking office a year ago, Trump has acted to weaken the Iranian government, including via its neighbor Iraq. Iran ...
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Source: Algemeiner
Posted on 01-23-2026 14:55