Iraq’s prime minister will visit Washington on Monday to deepen strategic ties and is expected to sign oil and gas agreements as part of broader economic, trade and investment cooperation. Government spokesman Hader Abadi said the deals will include multiple MOUs and Baghdad is preparing to bring in several US companies to boost oil production capacity. Iraq’s state news agency quoted Abadi saying the agreements will seek alternative export routes to reduce Iraq’s exposure to disruptions in the

US Secretary of State Rubio said Cuban leaders must implement broad reforms while there is still time.

A Wall Street Journal survey of economists this month shows the Iran war’s economic hit to the U.S. is smaller than earlier feared, but the conflict has made inflation above the Fed’s 2% target more persistent and narrowed the Fed’s room to cut rates. Views have shifted markedly since an April survey taken about a month after the outbreak. Economists now expect U.S. real GDP to grow 2.1% for the 12 months ending Q4 2026, up from a 2.0% forecast in April. The average probability of a U.S. recession in the next 12 months fell to 25% from 33% in April, the lowest since early 2025. Inflation outlooks rose: economists project 12-month CPI through December at 3.4% (vs. 3.2% in April), and core PCE — the Fed’s preferred gauge — at 3.2% in 2026 (vs. 2.9% previously).