Report reveals Iraqi government’s position on US sanctions on banks for secret dealings with Iran
The United States is seeking maximum sanctions and degrees of pressure to restrain Iran’s provocative and destabilizing behavior in the region, amidst escalating tensions Iran is sticking to its regional repercussions through its militias in several Arab countries, in addition to Iranian military aid and contributions to Russia during the Russian-Ukrainian conflict.
Iraqi government to stop bank transactions with Iran
International reports said during this period that the United States of America is exerting the utmost pressure on the Iraqi government to stop its banking dealings with Iran, despite the decision being not official, and that banks dealing with Iran, and a month ago, included Iraqi banks not to deal with non-governmental private banks.
According to the report, Iran may seek to plunder Iraq’s riches and wealth to support its terrorist militias in the region. Iran considers Iraq to be a front and back garden, which it sells fruit and good for its terrorist ambitions and plans.
Therefore, the American Treasury and the Federal Bank recently warned the Iraqi government and pressured it to impose severe sanctions on the government to stop many banks in Baghdad from dealing with Tehran, in order to help ease the consequences of the sanctions imposed on it.
According to the US statement on sanctions, any deal between Iran and Iraq must be based on the dinar, and the use of the US dollar in these transactions is prohibited by sanctions, following reports indicating that Iran-Iraq transactions are conducted through Iraqi banks in US dollars rather than in local currency.
Earlier, Iraqi media reported a sharp decline in the dinar’s value due to the smuggling of dollars to Iran.
US dollars
Muthanna Amin, a member of the Iraqi parliament, said in press statements that a large amount of dollars was smuggled into Iran from Iraq secretly.
A few weeks ago, a media close to Muqtada al-Sadr’s movement reported that during the Iraqi prime minister’s recent visit to Tehran, $4 billion was given to Iran under a mysterious agreement.
Iraqi government is obliged to implement instructions
Ihsan Al-Shammari, the head of the Iraqi Political Think Tank, said: The Iraqi government will be obligated if there are sanctions imposed by the US Treasury and the Federal Bank, whether against private banks or even some figures accused of money transfers to Iran, Lebanon, Syria or even Russia.
Al-Shammari added that the Iraqi government will not violate the directives or at least the obligation between Baghdad and Washington, on the one hand, and even the financial institutions in the United States of America, on the other, Iraq’s compliance with the American sanctions imposed on Iran. He noted that matters are intertwined, especially the new restrictions on financial transfers, which are meant to be transferred to Iran or even armed groups.
