BAGHDAD-Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed al-Sudani defended the presence of U.S. troops in his country and set no timetable for their withdrawal, signaling a less confrontational posture toward Washington early in his term than his Iran-backed political allies have taken.
"We think that we need the foreign forces," Mr. Sudani said in his first U.S. interview since taking office in October, referring to the American and North Atlantic Treaty Organization troop contingents that train and assist Iraqi units in countering Islamic State but largely stay out of combat. "Elimination of ISIS needs some more time," he added.
Iran Restricts Supply of Cheap Oil to Syria, Leaving Ally in Crisis
Iran's ambitions to position itself as a leading power broker in the Middle East have been dealt a fresh blow-this time by its own struggling economy and how it is crimping Tehran's ability to supply cheap oil to allies such as Syria.
The Islamic Republic of Iran has used cash and discounted oil in a hearts-and-minds campaign to expand its influence in Syria and challenge regional rivals Saudi Arabia and Israel. Iran and Russia are the main military sponsors of the Syrian government of President Bashar al-Assad, helping him to suppress an armed rebellion that began during the pro-democracy Arab Spring uprisings of 2011.
Big Tech Companies Prep for a Tough Year
A newly humbled cadre of globe-spanning tech giants are about to see their resilience tested.
For years, the biggest tech companies have been lauded by investors-and at times assailed by smaller rivals and investigated by regulators-for how they appeared to be unstoppable juggernauts. Competitors, big fines and even a global recession brought on by the Covid-19 pandemic didn't stop revenue and profit from going up.
Tesla Cut Prices, but Some Buyers Won't Get EV Tax Credit
Tesla Inc.'s decision to drop the price on several of its models will enable more buyers to qualify for a $7,500 federal electric-vehicle tax credit, but there is a catch: new income limits that kicked in Jan. 1.
EV tax credits were created in 2009, but late last year, the government changed many of the rules. It removed a cap on the number of vehicles sold per manufacturer, and added restrictions based on the vehicle price, place of manufacturer and taxpayer income.
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Expected Major Events for Monday
00:01/UK: Dec UK Regional PMI
00:01/UK: Jan Rightmove House Price Index
07:00/GER: Dec WPI
07:00/NOR: Dec External trade in goods
07:30/HUN: Nov Construction
08:00/CZE: Dec PPI
08:00/AUT: Dec CPI
09:00/BUL: Dec CPI
11:00/IRL: Nov Goods Exports and Imports
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This article is a text version of a Wall Street Journal newsletter published earlier today.
(END) Dow Jones Newswires
01-16-23 0014ET
