Key facts
- The U.S. has resumed some air shipments of U.S. dollars to Iraq.
- These shipments were suspended several months ago.
- The suspension was linked to pressure on the Iraqi government regarding Iran-backed militias.
- Security cooperation and funding for Iraq's security services remain suspended.
The United States has resumed some air shipments of U.S. dollars to Iraq, several months after suspending them, The New York Times reported, citing two aides to Iraq's prime minister. Haider al-Aboudi, a spokesman for Iraq’s prime minister, confirmed the resumption of dollar shipments to the newspaper. Mudhar Muhammad Salih, a financial adviser to the prime minister, also confirmed the transfer. In April, Washington halted a shipment of approximately $500 million in cash bound for Iraq and suspended parts of its security cooperation with Baghdad. These measures were intended to pressure the Iraqi government over the actions of Iran-backed militias. The suspension in cooperation and funding for Iraq's security services remains in place, according to the report. The White House, U.S. State Department, and the Treasury did not immediately respond to requests for comment outside business hours. Reuters could not immediately verify the report. The measures were taken amid escalating fallout from the Iran war, with the U.S. blaming Iranian-backed militias for attacks in Iraq, including repeated strikes on the U.S. embassy in Baghdad and the U.S. consulate in the Kurdistan region.