A member of the Basra council warns of “time bombs” in the oil fields and calls for urgent intervention.
A member of the Basra council warns of “time bombs” in the oil fields and calls for urgent intervention.
2026-09-24
Shafaq News – Basra
Basra council member Zahraa al-Salmi warned on Thursday of what she described as “time bombs” in the province’s oil fields, calling for urgent intervention to address the situation.
In a statement received by Shafaq News Agency, Al-Salmi described the presence of foreign workers inside the oil fields as “utter chaos,” and said that their presence in this manner represents “a state of panic inside the fields, and they are like a ticking time bomb inside the places where Iraq’s wealth is exported.”
She pointed out that “it is more appropriate for the country’s own people to work in these positions, without relying on foreigners brought in by the policies of successive governments.”
Al-Salmi called on Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi and the relevant ministries, especially those responsible for security and oil, to take urgent measures within the oil fields in Basra.
She added that “the complete silence of the concerned authorities calls for a national and visual awakening of conscience and awareness of what is happening inside the oil fields, in light of the presence of foreign workers, at a time when these institutions need urgent national auditing regarding these violations.”
She expressed her surprise at the “government silence” regarding the videos published on social media showing foreign workers inside the fields, considering that this is met with silence and indifference towards what is seen and heard.
Al-Salmi concluded by calling on the local government in Basra, in both its executive and legislative branches, and the members of parliament representing the province, to put an end to what she described as a “farce” within the country’s wealth-producing areas.
Social media circulated a video clip of dozens of Pakistani workers working in an oil field in Basra. There has been talk for years about the need to regulate the issue of foreign labor, especially in oil fields and companies operating in Iraq.
shafaq.com
