The Iraqi Supreme Court ruled earlier this week that the Kurdistan Region government is not allowed to sell oil and gas independently. The court also ruled that all agreements signed by the provincial government with foreign energy companies should be revoked. The Kurdish government of course rejects the ruling that is part of a long-running struggle between Baghdad and Irbil over oil revenues.

The Iraqi court cited, among other things, the absurd claim of the 'sale of oil to Israel' as a consideration that weakened the claims of the Kurdistan government. In the past, oil shipments from Kurdistan to Israel were reported. The Kurdish government, for its part, claims that it has no direct connection to Israel, but that it flows the pipeline to a Turkish port and from there it is sold to customers.