Iraq launches probe into alleged oil smuggling route from Kurdistan to Afghanistan

Iraq’s Parliament Speaker Haibat al-Halbousi has ordered an investigation into intelligence reports alleging that petroleum from Kirkuk and the Kurdistan Region is being smuggled through Iran to Afghanistan.

During a parliamentary meeting on Wednesday, al-Halbousi questioned the performance of security agencies and the Oil Ministry, demanding explanations over the alleged illegal transportation of Iraqi petroleum resources across the country’s borders.

“This is a serious matter,” he said, describing the reported activities as a failure by security authorities to protect national resources.

According to an official parliamentary statement, a temporary investigative committee has been established to examine the alleged smuggling route, which reportedly begins in oil-producing areas of Kirkuk and the Kurdistan Region, passes through Iran and extends toward Afghanistan.

The committee will be led by the head of Parliament’s Security and Defense Committee and include representatives from several parliamentary committees, including those responsible for oil and gas, finance, integrity and border crossings. It has been tasked with investigating the allegations and submitting its findings to parliamentary leadership.

Separate investigation into suspected oil theft

The parliamentary inquiry will also examine separate intelligence allegations concerning the suspected theft of petroleum products from government pipelines in Jurf al-Nasr, formerly known as Jurf al-Sakhar, in Babil Province.

The intelligence report reportedly includes satellite imagery and information about suspected fuel storage and transportation facilities.

However, Babil Governor Ali Turki al-Jamali has disputed aspects of the findings, saying that at least one identified location was an established fuel facility serving security forces.

Meanwhile, Iraqi Prime Minister Ali Faleh al-Zaidi has ordered a separate investigation into the suspected petroleum theft in Jurf al-Nasr, involving senior security officials and representatives of relevant government institutions.

The parliamentary committee has also been assigned to examine the recent attack on the Khor Mor gas field in the Kurdistan Region, which disrupted gas production and electricity generation.

Allegations yet to be verified

The alleged smuggling route through the Kurdistan Region and the suspected petroleum theft in Jurf al-Nasr are being investigated as separate cases. Authorities have not established that the incidents are connected.

Investigators have also yet to publicly identify those allegedly responsible for the suspected route to Afghanistan, determine the quantities involved or confirm whether the petroleum reached its reported destination.