Episode Notes:

On November 4th, the US will reinstate sanctions designed to restrict Iranian sales of gas and oil. Iraq, who currently depends on Iranian gas imports, has requested an exception or postponement in order to avoid punishment from those sanctions. So far, the US has signaled its commitment to enforce all sanctions, including to all buyers. Douglas Ollivant, Senior Fellow at New America, former NSC Director for Iraq and Managing Partner at Mantid International, shares his view on what's happening and what to expect. (10 minutes)

[ 0:34 ] Introduction [ 1:23 ] Degree of Iraqi dependence on Iranian imports [ 2:47 ] Impact of new Iraqi leaders on decision-making [ 4:19 ] Who makes the current decision on whether to comply [ 5:07 ] The Iraqi technical team that came to the US to make their case [ 6:15 ] Likelihood for the U.S. in issuing an exception