US halts shipment of Iraq’s oil dollars to curb Iran-linked groups: WSJ

Al Jazeera
April 22, 2026
3 min read

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The US Treasury halted a $500 million shipment of oil dollars to Iraq to curb Iran-linked groups.

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The US Treasury blocked a shipment of nearly $500 million in US banknotes destined for Iraq, according to The Wall Street Journal. This action is part of a broader US effort to curb the influence of Iran-linked groups within Iraq. The halted funds represent a significant portion of Iraq's oil dollars, which are typically transferred from the US Federal Reserve to Iraq's central bank. This move aims to prevent these funds from potentially being diverted to or benefiting militias and political factions aligned with Iran. The decision underscores the Trump administration's strategy to exert financial pressure in the region to counter Iranian influence.

What's Being Done

The US Treasury blocked the shipment of nearly $500m in US banknotes to Iraq.

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