Transfer of Kirkuk Oil to Iran Halted Due to Lack of X-Ray Equipment

The Iran-Iraq Joint Chamber of Commerce states that the transfer of Kirkuk oil to Iran has been halted due to security issues and the lack of X-ray equipment. The Secretary-General of this chamber, Hamid Hosseini, mentioned that discussions have taken place with the Iraqi side to utilize their facilities. On March 7, Hosseini told ISNA that the oil swap agreement has been made, "but its implementation is accompanied by safety issues." He referred to the security challenges related to oil transport trucks, stating that the inspection of vehicles has halted the agreement: "because we do not have X-ray equipment." According to the Secretary-General, "discussions have been held with the Iraqi side, and if they agree, we will use the X-ray facilities they have, and we will gradually complete our equipment." No report has yet been published regarding the outcome of these discussions. In mid-December, an Iraqi official announced the signing of a contract for the daily export of 30,000 to 60,000 barrels of oil from the Kirkuk region to Iran. Oil exports from this region had been halted shortly after tensions arising from the referendum in the Kurdistan region of Iraq and the military intervention of Iraqi forces in areas controlled by Kurds. Two months after the contract was signed between Tehran and Baghdad, two Iraqi officials announced that the Iraqi army was "preparing for operations aimed at greater security control over a border area with Iran that is the route for oil transfer." Iraqi officials did not provide many details regarding security threats in the area, but it was reported that two militia groups are active in the region, one of which is the remnants of the group known as the "Islamic State," and the other is a group referred to as "White Flags," about which little information is available, but it is likely composed of Kurdish fighters.