Iraqi Kurdistan’s aspiration to become an independent oil exporter took a hit Friday, when Baghdad criticized the semiautonomous region for publicly planning international sales before striking a deal with the central government. The Kurdistan Regional Government said it plans to sell the first parcel of oil at the end of January through the Kurdistan Oil Marketing Organization, rather than Iraq’s State Oil Marketing Organization. Iraq’s oil ministry responded with “deep regret” and bewilderment, saying Friday that Kurdistan’s plans are a “flagrant violation of the provisions of the Iraqi constitution.” The ministry also criticized Turkey’s government for allowing Kurdish oil to pass through the Iraqi-Turkish pipeline without Baghdad’s consent. Exports without Baghdad’s approval could prove fraught. Iraq’s oil ministry has threatened to take legal action against any company that buys Kurdish oil exported without Baghdad’s blessing. The twist is the latest on a long and tortured road to an agreement […]