[1]This $9 billion USD figure excludes additional stakes in a TotalEnergies project in Iraq.
[2]Ranj Alaaldin, "Building Bridges: Qatar's Strategic Investments in Iraq," Middle East Council on Global Affairs, March 2024, https://mecouncil.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/MECGA_Issue-Brief-_Ranj-Alaaldin_Final-WEB-1.pdf
[3]Alaaldin, "Building Bridges."; Nader Kabbani, "The Blockade on Qatar Helped Strengthen Its Economy, Paving the Way to Stronger Regional Integration," Brookings Institution, January 19, 2021, https://www.brookings.edu/articles/the-blockade-on-qatar-helped-strengthen-its-economy-paving-the-way-to-stronger-regional-integration/.
[4]Abdulaziz Al-Ishaq (Qatari political analyst and media personnel), interview by author, June 2026.
[5]"Qatar Leverages Gulf Reconciliation, Iran Ties in a Race for Influence in Iraq," The Arab Weekly, March 2021, https://thearabweekly.com/qatar-leverages-gulf-reconciliation-iran-ties-race-influence-iraq
[6]Mohamed Jafar Al-Sadr (Ambassador of Iraq to Qatar), interview by author, June 2026.
[7]Zeidon Alkinani, "The Iran War's Shadow Over Iraq's Preexisting Dynamics," Afkār, Middle East Council on Global Affairs, April 21, 2026, https://mecouncil.org/blog_posts/the-iran-wars-shadow-over-iraqs-preexisting-dynamics/; Zeidon Alkinani, "Current Iraq-Gulf Relations: Economics over Politics?," Arab Center Washington DC, March 23, 2022, https://arabcenterdc.org/resource/current-iraq-gulf-relations-economics-over-politics/.
[8]World Bank, "Iraq," World Bank Country Overview, accessed June 20, 2026, https://www.worldbank.org/ext/en/country/iraq#tab-economy; " Iraq Posts 8.8 Trillion Dinar Deficit in First Nine Months of 2025 as Wage Bill and Pensions Surge," The National Context, accessed June 20, 2026, https://thenationalcontext.com/iraq-budget-deficit-jan-sep-2025/; U.S. Energy Information Administration, "Iraq," Country Analysis Brief, accessed June 20, 2026, https://www.eia.gov/international/analysis/country/irq.
[9]International Monetary Fund, "IMF Executive Board Concludes 2020 Article IV Consultation with Iraq," Press Release No. 21/37, February 11, 2021, https://www.imf.org/en/news/articles/2021/02/11/pr2137-iraq-imf-executive-board-concludes-2020-article-iv-consultation.
[10]TotalEnergies, “GGIP: A Multi-Energy Project to Support Iraq Towards Its Energy Independence,” accessed 20 June 2026, https://totalenergies.com/company/projects/gas/ggip-multi-energy-project-Irak; Milaha, “Milaha Launches First Ever Container Feeder Service Between Qatar and Iraq,” accessed 14 June 2026, https://www.milaha.com/en/news-and-media/milaha-launches-first-ever-container-feeder-service-between-qatar-and-iraq; "Iraq, Turkey, Qatar, UAE Sign Preliminary Deal to Cooperate on Development Road Project," Reuters, April 22, 2024, https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/iraq-turkey-qatar-uae-sign-preliminary-deal-cooperate-development-road-project-2024-04-22/.
[11]Hazem Zahab, "Why Is Qatar Investing in Iraq?," KJ Reports, June 15, 2023, https://kjreports.com/why-is-qatar-investing-in-iraq.
[12]Simon Watkins, "Why Qatar Was Included in TotalEnergies' Iraqi Megaproject," OilPrice.com, November 6, 2024, https://oilprice.com/Energy/Natural-Gas/Why-Qatar-Was-Included-In-TotalEnergies-Iraqi-Megaproject.html.
[13]Muhanad Seloom (Professor of Strategic Security Studies, Doha Institute for Graduate Studies; Senior Nonresident Fellow, Middle East Council on Global Affairs and Gulf International Forum), interview by author, June 2026.
[14]Muhanad Seloom (Professor of Strategic Security Studies, Doha Institute for Graduate Studies; Senior Nonresident Fellow, Middle East Council on Global Affairs and Gulf International Forum), interview by author, June 2026.
[15]Abdulaziz Al-Ishaq (Qatari political analyst and media personnel), interview by author, June 2026.
[16]Muhanad Seloom (Professor of Strategic Security Studies, Doha Institute for Graduate Studies; Senior Nonresident Fellow, Middle East Council on Global Affairs and Gulf International Forum), interview by author, June 2026.
[17]Mohammed A. Salih, "Iraq's Development Road: No Place for Kurdistan?," Sada, Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, August 23, 2023, https://carnegieendowment.org/sada/2023/08/iraqs-development-road-no-place-for-kurdistan.
[18]Abdulaziz Al-Ishaq (Qatari political analyst and media personnel), interview by author, June 2026.
[19]Giorgio Cafiero and Andreas Paraskevopoulos, "GCC Dispute Pushes Iran and Qatar Closer but with Caveats," IranSource (Atlantic Council), June 17, 2019, https://www.atlanticcouncil.org/blogs/iransource/gcc-dispute-pushes-iran-and-qatar-closer-but-with-caveats/.
[20]Mohamed Jafar Al-Sadr (Ambassador of Iraq to Qatar), interview by author, June 2026