Dollar Ticks Up In Baghdad, Erbil
2026-11-08 02:45 Shafaq News- Baghdad/ Erbil The US dollar opened Sunday’s trading higher in Baghdad and Erbil, hovering around 169,000 dinars per 100 dollars.
According to a Shafaq News market survey, the dollar traded in Baghdad’s Al-Kifah and Al-Harithiya exchanges at 168,600 dinars per 100 dollars, up from the previous session’s 168,300 dinars.
In the Iraqi capital, exchange shops sold the dollar at 169,000 dinars and bought it at 168,000 dinars, while in Erbil, selling prices stood at 168,400 dinars and buying prices at 168,300 dinars.
US Records Sixth Consecutive Week Without Iraqi Crude
2026-11-08 01:45 Shafaq News- Baghdad/ Washington US crude oil imports from Iraq remained at zero for a sixth consecutive week, data from the US Energy Information Administration (EIA) showed on Sunday.
Overall US crude imports from ten major suppliers averaged 6.003 million barrels per day (bpd), down 124,000 bpd from 6.127 million bpd the previous week.
Canada remained the largest supplier at 3.991 million bpd, followed by Venezuela at 555,000 bpd, Brazil at 396,000 bpd and Saudi Arabia at 293,000 bpd.
Mexico ranked fifth, averaging 283,000 bpd, followed by Guyana with 194,000 bpd, Argentina with 146,000 bpd, Nigeria with 79,000 bpd, and Colombia with 66,000 bpd.
Badr Bloc Rejects US Demands On Iran Crossings
2026-11-08 03:17 Shafaq News- Baghdad Iraq’s Badr parliamentary bloc, affiliated with the Badr Organization led by Hadi Al-Ameri, on Sunday rejected “American dictates” to close border crossings with Iran, urging Baghdad to reopen them immediately.
On Saturday, Iraqi Foreign Minister Fuad Hussein revealed that Washington had formally requested the closure of all but two land crossings with Iran. Hussein also confirmed that Baghdad had informed Tehran of its willingness to maintain friendly relations and cooperation while rejecting interference in Iraqi affairs.
In a statement, the bloc argued that Hussein’s disclosure contradicted earlier technical explanations for the closures and revealed what it viewed as an agenda targeting southern Iraq and interfering in Iraq’s sovereign decisions.
“Iraq is a fully sovereign state, and its people and national forces will not stand idly by in the face of any violation of sovereignty or submission to foreign agendas that harm the country’s interests.”
The bloc warned that restrictions on major crossings, particularly Al-Sheeb, had harmed communities in central and southern Iraq, criticizing the “unequal treatment” of border crossings and “efforts to isolate” Iran economically. It also urged Baghdad to resist foreign pressure and keep Iraq out of regional conflicts.
On October 20, the Iraqi government ordered the closure of Al-Sheeb border crossing with Iran until further notice, prompting protests and sit-ins in Maysan province over financial losses suffered by residents and businesses.
Read more: Can Iraq’s economy weather a wider regional shock? Experts differ
US Expels Lebanese Consul In Detroit Over Hezbollah Posts
2026-11-07 08:16 Shafaq News- Washington The US State Department has declared Ibrahim Charara, Lebanon’s consul general in Detroit, persona non grata and ordered him to leave the country by November 8 over social media posts attributed to him about Hezbollah.
The posts, according to media outlets, included praise for the 1983 bombing of the US Marine barracks in Beirut, Lebanese media reported on Saturday.
In an investigation published on November 2, the Washington Free Beacon, a conservative US news website, accused Charara of praising the attack, citing a 2021 post in which he wrote that the “heroic resistance” had ended the “American military occupation” of Lebanon with a single strike.
The decision followed the Free Beacon’s coverage of Charara’s attendance at an Arab American community event in Dearborn, Michigan, in late October. The event backed Abdul El-Sayed and other Democratic candidates days before the November 3 midterm elections, in which El-Sayed won a US Senate seat for Michigan. The website criticized the consul for attending and republished remarks attributed to him about the Beirut attack.
Neither Charara nor Lebanon’s Foreign Ministry has commented.
On October 23, 1983, two truck bombs struck buildings in Beirut housing US and French troops serving in the Multinational Force in Lebanon, killing 241 US service members, 58 French soldiers, and six Lebanese civilians.
Washington designates Hezbollah a terrorist organization. The group has never claimed or denied responsibility for the 1983 attack. https://shafaq.com/en/Middle-East/US-expels-Lebanese-consul-in-Detroit-over-Hezbollah-posts
Source: Trump Told Al-Zaidi US Will Hit Factions
2026-11-07 08:49 Shafaq News- Baghdad US President Donald Trump warned Iraqi Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi in a Nov. 5 phone call that Washington would strike Iraq’s armed factions and their leaders if they join any renewed war in support of Iran, informed sources told Shafaq News on Saturday.
Trump also offered Baghdad full US support to press ahead with bringing all weapons under state control, the sources said, but warned that any new delay or backtracking would lead Washington to reassess its backing for al-Zaidi and his government.
Neither the White House nor al-Zaidi’s office has disclosed details of the call.
The warning comes as Washington steps up its messages to Iraq’s government and political forces on disarming the factions. Last week, political sources told Shafaq News that the US chargé d’affaires in Baghdad, Steven Fagin, had delivered direct messages to government and political figures stressing that Washington was closely watching progress.
Read more: Rubio’s “Balkanization” warning links Iraq’s armed factions to the country’s unity
Al-Zaidi has also become personally involved in the talks, holding one-on-one meetings with leaders of groups refusing to give up their weapons, a source familiar with the negotiations said earlier this week.
More than two months ago, the Coordination Framework, the alliance of Shiite parties that dominates Iraq’s government, formed a three-member committee, later expanded to four, to negotiate with the factions and contain the fallout of the disarmament push.
Under the arrangement agreed with the government, the factions’ weapons are to be regulated and brought under state control between September 2026 and June 2027.
Some groups say this does not mean surrendering their arms. Harakat Ansar Allah al-Awfiya said last week it had not handed over its weapons and would stay neutral unless Iraqi territory is used to attack Iran.
Read more: Asaib Ahl Al-Haq joins cabinet as hardliners reject disarmament deadline
Gold Prices Steady In Baghdad And Erbil
2026-11-08 04:00 Shafaq News- Baghdad/ Erbil Gold prices remained stable in Baghdad and Erbil on Sunday, hovering around 965,000 IQD per mithqal, according to a Shafaq News survey.
On Baghdad’s Al-Nahr Street, 21-carat Gulf, Turkish, and European gold sold for 960,000 IQD per mithqal (five grams), with a buying price of 956,000 IQD, unchanged from Saturday.
The selling price for 21-carat Iraqi gold stood at 930,000 IQD, while the buying price reached 926,000 IQD.
In jewelry stores, the selling price per mithqal of 21-carat Gulf gold ranged between 960,000 and 970,000 IQD, while Iraqi gold sold for between 930,000 and 940,000 IQD.
In Erbil, 22-carat gold was sold at 1,019,000 IQD per mithqal, 21-carat gold at 974,000 IQD, and 18-carat gold at 834,000 IQD.