EXCLUSIVE: Iraq considers halting oil supplies to Jordan over “immoral” chants

Shafaq News/ Iraq's parliament is moving to include a proposal to halt the semi-subsidized oil supplies to Jordan on the agenda of an upcoming session, the Shiite Coordination Framework (CF) announced on Thursday.

“This broad parliamentary move comes in the wake of mass protests that featured immoral chants against Iraqis,” CF MP Mukhtar Al-Moussawi told Shafaq News, referring to local reports of activists sharing videos of earlier demonstrations blocking oil tankers from crossing into Jordan through the Trebil border, in reaction to chants deemed offensive by some Palestinian and Jordanian fans during Iraq's recent World Cup qualifier.

Al-Moussawi affirmed Iraq’s right to object to such chants “by all means,” noting that most Shiite MPs have agreed to include the proposal on the parliament's agenda for the upcoming session following the Eid al-Fitr holiday.

“Some parliamentary parties may reject the decision to cut oil supplies to Jordan due to personal interests and partisan economic investments,” he added.

Meanwhile, a source from the Unified Sunni Leadership Coalition told our agency that passing such a law would be “difficult,” as Jordan's fuel share stems from a decades-old agreement under which the former regime granted Amman large quantities of oil free of charge, an arrangement that remained after Saddam Hussein’s fall in 2003 and was later revised to a symbolic, discounted price as aid to Jordan.

"The cancellation of Jordan's fuel share will not gain unanimous approval and may not even be listed on the session's agenda; if it is, only MPs from Shiite blocs and factions are likely to vote for it," he noted.

The “inappropriate” chants, according to the source, do not necessarily represent all Jordanians, especially since sports competitions (such as football) often witness intensified rivalries, and Iraq maintains deep interests and strong relations with Jordan.

About 60 oil tankers — half Jordanian and half Iraqi — cross the Trebil border daily, delivering 15,000 barrels per day to Jordan’s oil refinery, covering around 15% of the country's daily oil needs.

On Wednesday, Emad al-Rishawi, the mayor of Ar-Rutbah district in western Al-Anbar, emphasized that the Trebil crossing with Jordan is operating normally, with no issues disrupting trade between the two countries.