U.S. State Department spokesperson, Mark Toner has expressed concern over the recent US$1 billion loan that was borrowed by Iraq from the United States of America. Mr. Toner touched Iraq’s willingness to share the funds with Kurdistan Regional Government, “we believe it should be to the benefit of all Iraqis, and that includes the citizens or the people of the Kurdistan Region.” Toner later added that budgetary discussions were “an internal Iraqi matter.” 

These comments arise after Kurdistan Regional Government and Baghdad have continually disputed the conditions of an oil sharing agreement that resulted in Kurdistan exporting its own oil independently from Baghdad and keeping its share of the profits.