ERBIL, Kurdistan Region of Iraq - Iraqi Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi has reached an agreement with the United States on “the continued shipment of cash dollars,” with a new shipment set to arrive “in the coming days,” government spokesperson Haidar al-Aboudi said Saturday.

“This understanding comes in light of the progress made by Iraq in strengthening the system of control over the distribution of dollars and regulating their uses,” he said, announcing that “a new shipment of cash dollars will arrive in Iraq in the coming days,” Aboudi told Iraqi state media.

The development comes after the US reportedly imposed two major sanction packages on Iraq, including halting dollar cash shipments and dollar transfers. The claims were later denied by the Central Bank of Iraq (CBI), which asserted that the shipments are ongoing.

At the time, after The New Region reached out to the US Department of State, the department referred the outlet to a previous statement which highlighted Baghdad's "failure" to prevent attacks on US interests in Iraq.

The last shipment was in early August, when the US Federal Reserve sent $500 million in cash to the CBI, with the funds aiming to support traveler’s transactions and foreign remittances, Iraqi state media reported at the time, citing an Iraqi official.

Zaidi has striven to improve relations with the US since taking office, as the premier has sought to advance banking reforms and curb the influence of Iran-backed militias.

During Zaidi’s July visit to the US, the CBI and US Treasury Department signed an agreement that will allow seven Iraqi banks to resume correspondent banking transactions in foreign currencies, paving the way for a future return to US dollar transactions.

The US Treasury has for years worked with the CBI to tighten oversight of Iraqi banks amid concerns over banking violations, particularly the transfer of US dollars to sanctioned entities affiliated with Tehran.

In October 2025, Washington announced the imposition of sanctions on three Iraqi bank executives, accusing them of laundering money for Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) and Iran-backed militias in Iraq.