When Mustafa al-Kadhimi took office, the U.S. granted Iraq a relatively long 120-day Iran sanctions waiver. That diplomatic honeymoon could be ending. Iraqi Prime Minister Mustafa al-Kadhimi and his delegation meet with U.S. President Donald Trump and Vice President Mike Pence at the White House on Aug. 20, 2020. (SHEALAH CRAIGHEAD/White House) UPDATE: This story has been updated to include comments from the U.S. State Department, which were provided shortly after initial publication. The U.S. government has shortened the duration of a new sanctions waiver allowing Iraq to continue energy imports from Iran — a sign of enduring tensions between Baghdad and Washington. The new 60-day waiver was approved by Secretary of State Mike Pompeo on Tuesday, a day before the previous 120-day waiver was set to expire, according to a senior Iraqi official and a U.S. State Department official.