Central Bank of Iraq's Reserves Fall Nearly $22 Billion Since Start of 2026 to $77.8 Billion

Manar Al Obaidi, head of the Future Iraq Foundation for Economic Studies and Consultancy, said on Thursday, August 13, 2026 (22 Mordad 1405), based on operational and banking data, that the Central Bank of Iraq's official reserves have fallen to 102 trillion dinars (about $77.8 billion), down from 130 trillion dinars (about $99.2 billion) at the start of 2026. According to Shafaq News, the central bank lost about 10.3 trillion dinars (roughly $7.9 billion) in foreign currency and banking reserves in July alone. By contrast, the central bank's net claims on the government jumped sharply to 66.6 trillion dinars (about $50.8 billion), up from 35 trillion dinars (about $26.7 billion) at the start of 2025. The trend comes as Iraq's oil exports, the government's main revenue source, have been hit by the Strait of Hormuz crisis.