Dollar Rebounds to 158,000 Dinar Threshold in Iraq's Parallel Exchanges
The US dollar has made a rebound in Iraq's parallel currency exchanges after a four-day downward trend. On Tuesday, September 29, 2026, the greenback climbed back towards the 158,000-dinar threshold in Baghdad. Regional bourses in Erbil and Basra also recorded corresponding price gains.
The upward adjustment reverses the brief dip into the 156,000-157,000 dinar range seen late last week. This has re-expanded the spread against the Central Bank of Iraq's statutory official peg of 131,000 dinars per $100 to over 20 percent.
Market tracking by the 964 Network showed that major exchange desks in Baghdad quoted cash selling rates at 158,000 dinars per $100 against purchase bids of 157,000 dinars. In Erbil, parallel bureaus quoted selling figures at 157,800 dinars per $100, with buying rates closing at 156,500 dinars.
In Basra, trading mirrored the regional upswing, where retail counters offered greenbacks at 157,500 dinars for sale while maintaining buy orders at 156,500 dinars. Currency brokers attribute the renewed upward pressure to domestic wholesale merchants and private importers procuring cash ahead of end-of-month commercial settlements.