Executives from ExxonMobil met Iraq’s new oil minister Bassim Khudair in Baghdad on 7 June. The US major last year signed a preliminary agreement to develop the 450,000 b/d-capacity Majnoon field and to explore the development of Iraq’s export infrastructure (MEES, 10 October 2025).
Since taking office last month, Mr Khudair has called on US companies to resume commercial talks that began under the former government (MEES, 22 May). Iraq is under tremendous US pressure to disassociate from Iran and dismantle its backed militias in the country, and Washington sanctioned deputy oil minister Ali Maarich last month over allegedly facilitating oil smuggling for the benefit of Iran and its Iraqi proxies (MEES, 8 May). (CONTINUED - 183 WORDS)