Baghdad is edging toward U.S. sanctions over attacks on Saudi oil facilities allegedly launched from Iraqi territory by IRGC-linked groups, according to Al-Mada. The newspaper says the attacks disrupted around 7 million barrels of Saudi oil exports.

Sources close to Washington told Al-Mada that Tom Barrack’s team and the State Department’s Iraq office are in:

“major confusion”

The sources said important appointments have been canceled or deprioritized. They described Barrack’s team as thinly staffed, with only a handful of personnel spread across Baghdad, Syria, Paris and Turkey. U.S. handling of Iraq is reportedly becoming increasingly concentrated around that team as the State Department’s Iraq office loses influence.

Baghdad has not released the findings of its investigation. Iraq briefly closed crossings with Iran before reopening them, reportedly after objections from Shiite political forces. In Maysan, the police chief was removed and security officials were referred for investigation over suspected security gaps that allowed the attack networks to operate.

Former Iraqi MP Mithal al-Alusi alleged that Iraqi and Houthi operatives are jointly selecting targets and conducting attacks under direct IRGC supervision. He warned that the Iranian regime is attempting to turn Iraq into another front against the United States.

Al-Mada’s sources argued that declaring a state of emergency could help contain the armed groups and delay sanctions. No U.S. commitment to withhold sanctions in return for such a declaration was reported.