MIN READApr 14, 2016 | 09:15 GMT

Engineers survey Tawke oil field in the Iraqi autonomous region of Kurdistan, about 400 kilometers north of Baghdad. In the absence of a taxable economy, Kurdistan relies almost exclusively on oil revenue to survive.

(MUHANNAD FALA'AH/Getty Images)

For years, Iraqi Kurdistan and Iran have been in talks to construct a pipeline that would transport Kurdish oil to the Iranian market. Until now, the negotiations have lagged as the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) instead focused on developing an oil export route through Turkey. But new momentum may be building in favor of the Iranian option, particularly as Kurdish coffers run low and Tehran maneuvers to minimize Ankara's influence. If finalized, the new pipeline would bring the KRG one step closer to the financial independence it seeks. ...