Joe Biden urged to support 'economically strangled' Kurdistan

American politicians are aiming to push for the reopening of an oil pipeline between Iraqi Kurdistan and Turkey

Prime Minister of Kurdistan region Masrour Barzani and members of his delegation leave Downing Street on April 19, 2022. Reuters

A new US approach is needed to re-open a pipeline between Iraq's northern semi-autonomous Kurdistan region and Turkey, a trio of US congressmen have told President Biden.

The pipeline contributes about 0.5 per cent of global oil supply and has been shut since March, costing the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) roughly $4 billion in lost exports, according to two sources familiar with the matter.

Turkey halted flows on Iraq's northern oil export route this year after an arbitration ruling by the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC) ordered Ankara to pay Baghdad damages for unauthorised exports by the KRG between 2014 and 2018.

With global oil supplies being restricted by OPEC and prices rising, the US would also benefit from the resumption of flows from northern Iraq's oil sector.

The KRG has served as one of the most reliable partners in the Middle East by the US, said the letter seen by Reuters, signed by three members of the House Foreign Affairs Committee on Monday.

However, the closure of the pipeline has cut the region off from the majority of its revenue, the letter said, citing a message to Mr Biden this month in which KRG Prime Minister Masrour Barzani warned the economic drain on the region could trigger its collapse.

The KRG is being “economically strangled, politically and legally pressured … and militarily threatened by Iran and Iran-backed elements in Baghdad,” added the letter from congressmen Michael Waltz, Michael T McCaul and Joe Wilson.

It called for a “new Iraq strategy” to help fix the crisis but did not detail what that should be.

The letter came ahead of a meeting between Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia Al Sudani and US Secretary of State Antony Blinken in New York.

Mr Blinken during the meeting “underscored US support” for the reopening of a pipeline.