Shafaq News – Baghdad

The recent rise in Iraq’s parallel-market dollar rate is a temporary fluctuation driven by rumor-based “colored noise,” not a sign of structural pressure on the dinar, financial adviser to the caretaker prime minister, Mudhir Mohammed Saleh, said on Wednesday.

Speaking with Shafaq News, Saleh explained that distorted information circulating in informal channels triggered short-term speculative behavior. Such volatility, he noted, often intensifies during transitional periods, including the post-election phase and the government’s move toward stricter customs governance and digital tracking systems meant to align trade procedures with global standards.

He stressed that the latest movement “was limited and did not disturb the country’s overall price stability.” Inflation remains steady, he said, reflecting the effectiveness of current monetary policy.

Economic confusion spread across Iraq in recent days as the spike in the parallel market revived concerns about currency stability. Some experts told Shafaq News that the dinar faces pressure from uneven oil, tax, and customs revenues, while others argued that liquidity is sufficient and government financing needs remain covered. All agreed that lasting stability depends on comprehensive financial and administrative reform.

Read more: Rumors and panic: What’s really behind Iraq’s financial scare?

The Central Bank of Iraq, in turn, denied predictions of an imminent exchange-rate shift as attempts to unsettle the market and erode confidence in the national economy, confirming that such remarks are personal views and do not reflect the Bank’s policy direction.