“Tidbits From TNT” Monday Morning 3-16-2026
TNT:
Tishwash: Parliament intervenes in the crisis between Baghdad and Erbil regarding oil exports via Ceyhan.
The Iraqi Parliament announced on Sunday (March 15, 2026) that it has entered the ongoing crisis between the federal government in Baghdad and the Kurdistan Regional Government regarding oil exports through the Turkish port of Ceyhan.
The media office of the House of Representatives stated in a statement received by "Baghdad Today" that "the House of Representatives decides to host the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Oil, the Minister of Natural Resources in the Kurdistan Region, the Undersecretary of the Minister of Oil for Extraction Affairs, the Undersecretary of the Minister of Oil for Distribution Affairs, and the Director General of the Iraqi Oil Marketing Company SOMO."
She added that "the hosting will begin on Tuesday at 9 pm," noting that "the session concerns the mechanism for exporting oil via the oil pipeline to the Turkish ports of Ceyhan." link
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Tishwash: US oil companies warn Trump administration of worsening energy crisis due to the Strait of Hormuz
US oil companies have warned President Donald Trump's administration that the energy crisis could worsen if supplies through the Strait of Hormuz, one of the world's most important oil chokepoints, are disrupted.
The Wall Street Journal reported that the oil industry indicated that continued supply disruptions could lead to higher oil prices and disruption to global energy markets.
The companies stressed that the crisis could worsen if shipping traffic through the vital strait continues to be disrupted, warning of the impact this could have on local and international oil and fuel supplies. link
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Tishwash: Calls to regulate markets and protect citizens' purchasing power
Residents of Ramadi have called for stricter market controls during the final days of Ramadan and the lead-up to Eid al-Fitr, to prevent some merchants from exploiting the situation and raising prices excessively for families.
They emphasized that these price hikes place a heavy burden on families and limit their ability to meet their Eid needs, urging official authorities to regulate the markets and ensure that citizens can purchase their necessities without additional financial strain. link
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Tishwash: Prime Minister Sudani warns war poses risk of ‘serious consequences’ for Iraq
Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani warned Saturday that the regional war has expanded and now threatens Iraq’s infrastructure, energy supplies and supply chains, while insisting that decisions on war and peace rest solely with the state.
“The war has expanded and all parties are now facing an imminent danger,” Sudani said during a meeting with Shia and Sunni religious figures, adding that Iraq faces “major challenges” his government is working to address.
“The state, through its institutions, is the authority concerned with the decision of war,” he said. Iran-aligned armed groups, some of which are formally incorporated into Iraq’s security forces, have already entered the conflict, launching drone and rocket attacks on targets across federal Iraq, the Kurdistan Region and elsewhere in the region.
Sudani condemned attacks on diplomatic missions and coalition forces headquarters in Iraq, warning they expose the country to “serious consequences.” The U.S. Embassy compound in Baghdad’s Green Zone was struck early Saturday, with thick smoke seen rising from the compound. The UAE Consulate General in Erbil was hit the same day, the second attack on it in a week, wounding two security guards.
“The state, through its constitutional institutions, will continue pursuing those involved in this condemned and rejected act,” he said.
He also condemned strikes on PMF members within Iraq’s security forces. “We will not accept our service members being exposed to such threats and we will do everything within our power to protect them,” Sudani said — hours after warplanes struck several PMF positions in Tuz Khurmatu district, wounding four fighters, two seriously.
Neither the United States nor Israel has claimed responsibility for strikes on PMF positions in Iraq. The PMF said Thursday that 32 airstrikes have hit its positions across seven governorates since the war began Feb. 28.
Iran-aligned factions under the Islamic Resistance in Iraq umbrella, including Kataib Hezbollah, Asaib Ahl al-Haq, Kataib Imam Ali and Harakat al-Nujaba, have claimed responsibility for numerous drone and rocket attacks on alleged U.S.-linked targets since the war began. link
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Mot: **The Butter Battle**
For years, a sweet old French lady ran a small shop in her village. Life was simple and peaceful—until a massive corporate supermarket opened its doors right across the street.
Wasting no time, the supermarket plastered a bold sign outside: **Butter – 10 euros.**
Not one to shy away from competition, the old lady promptly placed her own sign in the shop window: **Butter – 9 euros.**
The supermarket retaliated the next day: **Butter – 8 euros.**
Unfazed, the old lady updated her sign again: **Butter – 7 euros.**
This price war went on for days, each lowering their price further. Eventually, a worried customer stepped into the old lady’s shop and pointed at her sign.
“Madame,” he said, “you can’t keep this up! Those big supermarkets can afford it, but a small shop like yours? You’ll be ruined!”
The old lady leaned in with a sly smile and whispered,
“Monsieur, I don’t even sell butter.”