Iraq signs 48 deals with US companies during PM’s visit to Washington

What the report says

Al Jazeera, citing AFP and Reuters, reported that Iraq signed 48 agreements and related partnership documents with U.S. companies and institutions during Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi’s visit to Washington. The Iraqi prime minister’s media office said the signings involved public and private entities from both countries and took place around a U.S.-Iraq business summit at the U.S. Chamber of Commerce on Friday, with the report published July 18, 2026.

The deals are concentrated in energy but also cover healthcare and technology. Al Jazeera reported that the Iraqi oil and electricity ministries were linked to cooperation with major firms including ExxonMobil, KBR, GE Vernova, Shell and Halliburton. Iraq also reached an agreement with Starlink to bring satellite communications services into the country. Reuters reported that the initial package of agreements with U.S. firms is valued at more than $60 billion.

A central element is the planned rehabilitation of the Iraq-Syria crude pipeline, a route from the Kirkuk area in northern Iraq to Syria’s Mediterranean port of Baniyas that has long been out of service. Iraq and Syria signed a cooperation agreement on the project, and Iraq’s state news agency said Chevron would carry it out. The U.S. Department of State welcomed the plan and said a U.S.-led international consortium would handle technical and financial work, with an initial capacity of 2 million barrels per day once restored.

The pipeline matters because it could give Iraq another export route and reduce reliance on the Strait of Hormuz, a strategic chokepoint for Gulf oil shipments. Al Jazeera reported that recent disruption tied to the U.S.-Israel war against Iran has sharpened Baghdad’s interest in alternatives.