Iraq’s oil sector caught in crossfire between US, Iran

US-Iran tensions have hit Iraq's oil industry, with ExxonMobil announcing an evacuation of its staff in Iraq to Dubai.
A member of the oil police force guards the entrance of the West Qurna-1 oil field, which is operated by Exxon Mobil, near Basra, Iraq, May 20, 2019. Picture taken May 20, 2019. REUTERS/Essam Al-Sudani - RC17690F9600
A member of the oil police force guards the entrance of the West Qurna-1 oil field, which is operated by Exxon Mobil, near Basra, Iraq, May 20, 2019. - REUTERS/Essam Al-Sudani
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Hamdi Malik
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ExxonMobil evacuated dozens of its non-Iraqi employees from Iraq on May 18. The evacuation follows a US State Department decision to withdraw its non-essential staff from the US Embassy in Baghdad and its consulate in Erbil, the capital of Iraqi Kurdistan.

The US oil company relocated its employees to Dubai, where they will continue their work related to the West Qurna-1 oil field in Basra. The company announced May 31 that it will begin returning its employees from June 2 after the Iraqi government promised to increase the security measures in the site.

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