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Iraq Releases 2.5 Bln Euros in Debt to Iran Following US Sanctions Waiver

Iraqi Foreign Minister Fuad Hussein held a meeting with US Secretary of State Antony Blinken on the sidelines of the Riyadh Conference on Thursday (Reuters)
Iraqi Foreign Minister Fuad Hussein held a meeting with US Secretary of State Antony Blinken on the sidelines of the Riyadh Conference on Thursday (Reuters)
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Iraq Releases 2.5 Bln Euros in Debt to Iran Following US Sanctions Waiver

Iraqi Foreign Minister Fuad Hussein held a meeting with US Secretary of State Antony Blinken on the sidelines of the Riyadh Conference on Thursday (Reuters)
Iraqi Foreign Minister Fuad Hussein held a meeting with US Secretary of State Antony Blinken on the sidelines of the Riyadh Conference on Thursday (Reuters)

Iraq on Saturday agreed to pay about $2.76 billion in gas and electricity debt to Iran after receiving a sanctions waiver from the United States.

Iraqi Foreign Minister Fuad Hussein was given the clearance during a meeting with US Secretary of State Antony Blinken on the sidelines of the Riyadh Conference on Thursday, a senior Iraqi foreign ministry official said, who spoke on condition of anonymity because he is not authorized to speak to the media, told Reuters.

Due to decades of conflict and sanctions, Iraq is dependent on imports from Iran for a lot of its gas needs.

However, US sanctions on Iranian oil and gas have hampered Iraq’s payments for imports, putting it in heavy arrears and leading Iran to retaliate by cutting gas flows regularly.

Iraqi Foreign Ministry spokesperson Ahmed Al-Sahhaf said in a brief statement that Hussein had made progress “regarding financial dues between Iraq and Iran during his discussion with his American counterpart in Riyadh” when asked about the funds.

He did not give further details.

According to the Ministry’s Twitter post, Hussein “conducted continuous dialogues with Omani Foreign Minister Badr al-Busaidi for the same purpose.”

Meanwhile, Iraq’s news agency, INA, quoted the media advisor to the Prime

Minister, Diaa al-Nasseri, as saying that Iraq had released a total of 1.5 billion euros of Iranian funds and is preparing to release an additional 1 billion euros.

Later, Yahya Al-e Eshaq, head of the Iran-Iraq chamber of commerce, was quoted by Iranian news agencies as saying that “Part of Iran’s blocked funds in Iraq has been earmarked for haj pilgrims and portions have been used for basic goods.”

He added that it will definitely have a positive impact on the markets because the demands of the Central Bank of Iran (CBI) will be met and basic goods needed in the country have been purchased using the assets.

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Arab World

Houthi Charges of Espionage: A Tool to Intimidate, Control the Population

Houthis demonstrate in the center of the capital Sanaa against American and British strikes on their positions. (AP)
Houthis demonstrate in the center of the capital Sanaa against American and British strikes on their positions. (AP)
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Houthi Charges of Espionage: A Tool to Intimidate, Control the Population

Houthis demonstrate in the center of the capital Sanaa against American and British strikes on their positions. (AP)
Houthis demonstrate in the center of the capital Sanaa against American and British strikes on their positions. (AP)

The Houthi militia has recently released several individuals it had abducted for celebrating Yemen’s September Revolution. However, over the past few days, it has detained hundreds of residents in its stronghold of Saada, accusing them of espionage.

The campaign coincides with the airing of alleged confessions from a purported spy cell and the abduction of a former employee of the US Embassy in Yemen.

Local sources in Saada province, approximately 242 kilometers north of Sanaa, report that the Houthis have launched a widespread campaign of arrests targeting civilians. These individuals have been taken from their homes, workplaces, and businesses under allegations of collaborating with Western nations and Israel. Families of those detained have been warned to remain silent and refrain from discussing the arrests with the media or on social media platforms.

According to the sources, more than 300 individuals, including dozens of women, have been abducted across various districts in Saada. The arrests have also targeted relatives and associates of Othman Mujalli, a member of Yemen’s Presidential Leadership Council, who hails from the region.

The sources suggest that the Houthis are detaining women as hostages to pressure their relatives, who may either be out of the militia’s reach or living outside Houthi-controlled areas. They also appear to be using the women to coerce confessions from male relatives. Last month, the Houthis accused Hamid Mujalli, Othman Mujalli’s brother, of engaging in espionage for Arab and Western nations for nearly two decades.

In a separate incident, the Houthis abducted a former employee of the US Embassy in Sanaa from his home on Monday without providing any explanation for their actions.

Release of Detainees

The Houthis recently released Sheikh Amin Rajeh, a tribal leader from Ibb province, after detaining him for four months. Several other individuals were also freed, none of whom had been formally charged during their detention. Rajeh, a member of the General People’s Congress Party, was one of many political activists, students, workers, and public employees abducted in September for celebrating Yemen’s September 26, 1962, revolution.

One of the released individuals, a shop owner, told Asharq Al-Awsat that he was unaware of the reason for his detention. He had been abducted in November, two months after the Houthis initiated a crackdown on those commemorating the revolution.

Alleged Spy Cell

Houthi-controlled media recently broadcast confessions from what they claimed was a newly uncovered spy cell. The group linked the cell to its broader narrative of “promised conquest and sacred jihad” against the West and Israel.

According to Houthi security officials, the alleged spy cell was working to compile a “target database,” monitor sites linked to missile forces and drones, and track specific military and security locations. They also claimed the cell had been observing the residences and movements of Houthi leaders.

In response, the Houthis issued warnings to residents, forbidding them from discussing or sharing information about militia-controlled sites, facilities, or the whereabouts of their leaders.

The Houthis’ actions reflect mounting concerns over potential strikes targeting their senior leadership, similar to the recent attacks on Hezbollah figures in Lebanon. Those fears come amid ongoing tensions with Israel, the United States, and the United Kingdom, following the Houthis’ assaults on international shipping lanes in the Red Sea and missile attacks on Israel.