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Two large deals lift Damascus bourse turnover to SYP80.8mn
2 hours ago
Iraq's holdings of US Treasury bonds rose to $42bn by the end of December 2025, up 79% from $23.4bn a year earlier, according to US Treasury data published on March 23, Shafaq News reported.
The increase was driven almost entirely by long-term bonds, which reached $40.8bn, while short-term holdings stood at $1.2bn. Iraq's Treasury portfolio grew steadily throughout 2025, rising from $39.85bn in January to $42bn by year-end.
The data, which predates the war, takes on new significance given the scale of Iraq's economic crisis since the Strait of Hormuz closure on February 28 cut off the country's southern oil exports of 3.35mn bpd. Oil revenues fund roughly 95% of Iraq's federal budget.
Iraq may face pressure to liquidate a portion of its Treasury holdings to cover government spending if the export disruption persists. The country has resumed limited exports via the Kirkuk-Ceyhan pipeline to Turkey at 250,000 bpd, but that represents a fraction of pre-war volumes.
The disclosure also carries a pointed irony given Iran's parliament speaker Ghalibaf's threat on March 22 that financial institutions holding US Treasury bonds were legitimate military targets.
Iraq, an oil-dependent neighbour with deep economic ties to both Tehran and Washington, is one of the larger sovereign holders of US debt in the Middle East.
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