The Impact of International Crises on Iraq’s Public Budget and Expenditure Management Prepared by: Assistant Lecturer Mohammed Abdulmunem : Successive international crises, particularly wars and regional conflicts, pose a major challenge to the stability of Iraq’s public budget, which relies primarily on oil revenues to finance its expenditures. As these crises escalate, the budget becomes vulnerable to sharp fluctuations due to changes in oil prices and export volumes. The most prominent impact is the instability of public revenues. Any decline in oil prices or disruption in export operations leads to a decrease in state financial resources, creating a gap between revenues and expenditures. In contrast, public spending—especially salaries and government subsidies—remains relatively fixed and difficult to reduce in the short term. International crises also impose additional pressure on the expenditure side by increasing the need for security and public service spending, as well as raising import costs due to instability in global markets. This results in an expansion of the fiscal deficit, prompting the government to seek alternative financing sources, such as borrowing or drawing from reserves. From an accounting perspective, this situation is reflected in government financial statements through an increased deficit, reduced surpluses, and a rise in future financial obligations. It also highlights the need to adopt modern expenditure management approaches, such as program and performance budgeting, which focus on efficient resource allocation and optimal utilization. Furthermore, these conditions require strengthening financial control and auditing systems to ensure the optimal use of resources, reduce waste, and improve transparency and financial disclosure, thereby enhancing confidence in the state’s financial management.