U.S. Raises Alarm as Iraq Army Seizes Oil-Rich Kirkuk From Kurds
- Trump says U.S. isn’t taking sides in Iraq, Kurdish standoff
- Oil output halted at two areas in Kirkuk, official says
Sfakianakis: Oil Risks Short-Term Spike on Iraq
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President Donald Trump signaled increasing U.S. alarm about the situation in northern Iraq after forces loyal to Baghdad seized the headquarters of Kirkuk’s provincial administration on Monday, threatening to escalate tensions over Kurdish autonomy and pushing oil prices higher.
“We’re not taking sides, but we don’t like the fact that they’re clashing,” Trump told reporters at the White House Monday. “We’ve had, for many years, a very good relationship with the Kurds, as you know. And we’ve also been on the side of Iraq, even though we should have never been in there in the first place. But we’re not taking sides in that battle.”