US approves $800m military helicopter sale to Iraq
The US State Department has approved an $800m military sale of Bell helicopters and related equipment to Iraq, according to a statement issued on Monday.
The department said that the principal contractor will be Bell-Textron of Fort Worth, Texas.
“This proposed sale will support the foreign policy and national security of the United States by helping to improve the security of a strategic partner,” the statement said.
“The proposed sale will improve Iraq’s capability to meet current and future threats by improving its rotary wing transport, reconnaissance, and air-to-surface targeting capabilities,” it added.
|
|
|
Iraq’s state oil marketer denies ties to Iran-linked sanctioned tanker
Iraq’s State Organization for Marketing of Oil (SOMO) says it has no contractual or commercial relationship with the Binary Star, a sanctioned oil and chemical tanker linked to the transport of Iranian petroleum products, or with its owner or operator.
The vessel has been sanctioned by the US and the EU and identified as having transported Iranian fuel oil and bitumen in the Gulf.
In a statement, SOMO said vessels nominated for Iraqi oil exports undergo compliance checks and must not appear on relevant international sanctions lists. It added that it monitors tanker movements in Iraqi waters, including the possible manipulation of location data and identification signals.
The company stressed that a vessel’s presence in Iraqi territorial waters or its appearance on tracking systems does not mean it has any commercial relationship with SOMO.
|
|
|
