“I will only accept what is in the true interest of Iraq, and reject any pressure aimed at undermining it. We should all prioritize what is best for our country,” al-Kadhimi said in tweets written in Arabic, Kurdish, and English.

On April 16, the federal Council of Ministers froze budget transfers to the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) after patience ran out with Erbil’s failure to live up to its obligations under the 2019 federal budget law, in particular its refusal to send oil to Baghdad for export.

In response, the KRG has said that it is committed to transferring 250,000 barrels of oil per day, as required by the budget law, but also drew harsh criticism from senior KRG officials.

Referring to the freeze as “political” and a “punishment,” KRG Prime Minister Masrour Barzani said on Monday that it was “against the constitutional rights of the Kurdistan Region and its people.”

Reporter’s code: 50101