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Iraqi Oil Ministry responds to letter from US Congress members to President Biden
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2024-09-08 05:16
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2024-09-08 05:16
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Shafaq News/ The Iraqi Ministry of Oil described, on Sunday, the letter sent by members of the US Congress to US President Joe Biden regarding Iraq's assistance to Iran to evade sanctions as incorrect and mere allegations, expressing its rejection of those allegations.
Members of the US Congress sent a letter to US President Joe Biden, directly and indirectly accusing several Iraqi parties, including parties in the Ministries of Oil and Transport, the SOMO Company, and others, including Iraqi militias, of exploiting and smuggling Iraqi oil for the benefit of the Iranian treasury and the Revolutionary Guard.
The ministry said in a lengthy statement today, "Everything said in the letter has no basis in truth. The only thing that is correct is what is stated in the text, which are (allegations) and do not amount to information."
The statement stressed that "Iraq is committed to the highest standards of transparency regarding oil production and export, and all data related to this is published regularly and in detail through official channels."
According to the statement, the Ministry of Oil "deals only with a number of reputable international companies, including American companies, in the fields of production and marketing, and has strong relations and partnerships with those companies that extend for decades in investing in oil fields in various regions of Iraq and standard contracts according to international transparency standards in marketing Iraqi crude oil."
In a letter dated September 4, 2024, the five members of Congress, Joe Wilson, French Hill, Michael Lawler, Michael Waltz, and Kevin Heym, addressed the US president, saying that “Iraqi Oil Minister Hayan Abdul Ghani will be visiting the United States soon, as reports indicate that the Minister and other officials are involved in extensive sanctions evasion on behalf of the regime in Iran.”
These members called for US sanctions against those involved, criticizing the failure to restart the oil pipeline from the Kurdistan Region to the Turkish port of Ceyhan.
The Ministry of Oil considered in its statement, "What was said in the letter regarding Iraq's role in helping Iran evade sanctions, are also mere allegations and fabrications that have no basis in truth."
She explained that "Iraq deals with Iran in the energy sector and importing gas and electricity in coordination and understanding with friends in the United States and under the sun with transparent and announced contracts, whether in imports or in paying the dues of the Iranian side."
The Oil Ministry statement stressed that "Iraq respects its international obligations and is committed to international law and builds its relations with neighboring countries and other countries on the basis of respect and mutual interests consistent with international laws and far removed from participating in any activity that violates them."
The five members of Congress expressed their concern that "the Iraqi oil sector is being transformed into a powerful and sustainable means through which militia groups allied with Iran and the Iranian Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps finance terrorism," noting that estimates speak of a financial return of one billion dollars annually.
In this regard, the Ministry of Oil responded in its statement to these accusations, saying: “The Iraqi oil sector is monitored by regulatory bodies and strict auditing procedures, including contracts for the export of crude oil and petroleum products, including black oil, which are carried out according to mechanisms of utmost transparency that adopt government laws and instructions,” noting that “this refutes the allegations of fraud and financing of the so-called militias, and the ministry’s connection to the security agencies is regulated by constitutional legal texts, and no party can exert pressure on the ministry.”
The letter to Biden expressed concern that “senior Iraqi officials and their families, including those working in the Iraqi Ministry of Oil and the Iraqi Ministry of Industry and Minerals, may be directly involved,” through the manipulation of allocations and oil smuggling by companies owned and controlled by Asaib Ahl al-Haq, while other reports indicate that Iraqi oil may be diverted from its intended industrial uses and instead smuggled to the global market, benefiting the IRGC and Iranian proxies in Iraq.
Regarding this information, the Iraqi Ministry of Oil expressed its “surprise and disapproval regarding what was stated in the letter regarding the role of some officials in smuggling oil and manipulating allocations.”
The Ministry of Oil said, "We reject these allegations in the name of Iraq in their entirety, and challenge the presentation of any evidence to support these allegations. This ministry confirms that, under the leadership of its Minister, Hayan Abdul Ghani, it operates according to mechanisms of the utmost integrity and transparency. Export operations are carried out through the official ports approved globally, represented by the port of Basra in Iraq and the port of Ceyhan in Turkey, and with the follow-up and supervision of international institutions (KPLER), which provide accurate data on quantities, quality and tankers. Any party can examine and match the data, and this refutes at the same time the allegations of smuggling Iranian oil and presenting it as Iraqi oil."
The five members of Congress had called on Biden to prevent the Iraqi oil minister from visiting the United States until these allegations were investigated and the results were presented to Congress, and that if these violations were verified, US sanctions should be imposed on the individuals and entities involved.
The semi-official Iraqi News Channel reported that Minister Abdul Ghani intends to visit the United States of America to refer 10 gas exploration blocks for investment in a new licensing round for Iraq.
The ministry also refuted "allegations of mixing and smuggling operations through Iraqi oil ports, where all oil movements and activities are subject to the supervision of international inspectors contracted with the Ministry of Oil."
She pointed out that "Iraqi territorial waters are held firmly and under strict control by the Iraqi naval forces. Iraq does not bear responsibility for what may happen outside its territorial waters, as Iraqi oil contracts are organized on a (FOB) basis and the responsibility of the Oil Marketing Company (SOMO) ends once the oil is loaded onto the tanker."
The ministry continued in its statement that "the allegations of linking oil and the dollar in Iran's favor, Iraq is one of the countries most committed to international regulations governing oil and currency trade."
The ministry's statement denied "the existence of any secret or illegal transactions that enable others to circumvent Iraq, and it is known and announced that all oil revenues are made through the US Federal Reserve."
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Members of the US Congress sent a letter to US President Joe Biden, directly and indirectly accusing several Iraqi parties, including parties in the Ministries of Oil and Transport, the SOMO Company, and others, including Iraqi militias, of exploiting and smuggling Iraqi oil for the benefit of the Iranian treasury and the Revolutionary Guard.
The ministry said in a lengthy statement today, "Everything said in the letter has no basis in truth. The only thing that is correct is what is stated in the text, which are (allegations) and do not amount to information."
The statement stressed that "Iraq is committed to the highest standards of transparency regarding oil production and export, and all data related to this is published regularly and in detail through official channels."
According to the statement, the Ministry of Oil "deals only with a number of reputable international companies, including American companies, in the fields of production and marketing, and has strong relations and partnerships with those companies that extend for decades in investing in oil fields in various regions of Iraq and standard contracts according to international transparency standards in marketing Iraqi crude oil."
In a letter dated September 4, 2024, the five members of Congress, Joe Wilson, French Hill, Michael Lawler, Michael Waltz, and Kevin Heym, addressed the US president, saying that “Iraqi Oil Minister Hayan Abdul Ghani will be visiting the United States soon, as reports indicate that the Minister and other officials are involved in extensive sanctions evasion on behalf of the regime in Iran.”
These members called for US sanctions against those involved, criticizing the failure to restart the oil pipeline from the Kurdistan Region to the Turkish port of Ceyhan.
The Ministry of Oil considered in its statement, "What was said in the letter regarding Iraq's role in helping Iran evade sanctions, are also mere allegations and fabrications that have no basis in truth."
She explained that "Iraq deals with Iran in the energy sector and importing gas and electricity in coordination and understanding with friends in the United States and under the sun with transparent and announced contracts, whether in imports or in paying the dues of the Iranian side."
The Oil Ministry statement stressed that "Iraq respects its international obligations and is committed to international law and builds its relations with neighboring countries and other countries on the basis of respect and mutual interests consistent with international laws and far removed from participating in any activity that violates them."
The five members of Congress expressed their concern that "the Iraqi oil sector is being transformed into a powerful and sustainable means through which militia groups allied with Iran and the Iranian Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps finance terrorism," noting that estimates speak of a financial return of one billion dollars annually.
In this regard, the Ministry of Oil responded in its statement to these accusations, saying: “The Iraqi oil sector is monitored by regulatory bodies and strict auditing procedures, including contracts for the export of crude oil and petroleum products, including black oil, which are carried out according to mechanisms of utmost transparency that adopt government laws and instructions,” noting that “this refutes the allegations of fraud and financing of the so-called militias, and the ministry’s connection to the security agencies is regulated by constitutional legal texts, and no party can exert pressure on the ministry.”
The letter to Biden expressed concern that “senior Iraqi officials and their families, including those working in the Iraqi Ministry of Oil and the Iraqi Ministry of Industry and Minerals, may be directly involved,” through the manipulation of allocations and oil smuggling by companies owned and controlled by Asaib Ahl al-Haq, while other reports indicate that Iraqi oil may be diverted from its intended industrial uses and instead smuggled to the global market, benefiting the IRGC and Iranian proxies in Iraq.
Regarding this information, the Iraqi Ministry of Oil expressed its “surprise and disapproval regarding what was stated in the letter regarding the role of some officials in smuggling oil and manipulating allocations.”
The Ministry of Oil said, "We reject these allegations in the name of Iraq in their entirety, and challenge the presentation of any evidence to support these allegations. This ministry confirms that, under the leadership of its Minister, Hayan Abdul Ghani, it operates according to mechanisms of the utmost integrity and transparency. Export operations are carried out through the official ports approved globally, represented by the port of Basra in Iraq and the port of Ceyhan in Turkey, and with the follow-up and supervision of international institutions (KPLER), which provide accurate data on quantities, quality and tankers. Any party can examine and match the data, and this refutes at the same time the allegations of smuggling Iranian oil and presenting it as Iraqi oil."
The five members of Congress had called on Biden to prevent the Iraqi oil minister from visiting the United States until these allegations were investigated and the results were presented to Congress, and that if these violations were verified, US sanctions should be imposed on the individuals and entities involved.
The semi-official Iraqi News Channel reported that Minister Abdul Ghani intends to visit the United States of America to refer 10 gas exploration blocks for investment in a new licensing round for Iraq.
The ministry also refuted "allegations of mixing and smuggling operations through Iraqi oil ports, where all oil movements and activities are subject to the supervision of international inspectors contracted with the Ministry of Oil."
She pointed out that "Iraqi territorial waters are held firmly and under strict control by the Iraqi naval forces. Iraq does not bear responsibility for what may happen outside its territorial waters, as Iraqi oil contracts are organized on a (FOB) basis and the responsibility of the Oil Marketing Company (SOMO) ends once the oil is loaded onto the tanker."
The ministry continued in its statement that "the allegations of linking oil and the dollar in Iran's favor, Iraq is one of the countries most committed to international regulations governing oil and currency trade."
The ministry's statement denied "the existence of any secret or illegal transactions that enable others to circumvent Iraq, and it is known and announced that all oil revenues are made through the US Federal Reserve."
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