Al-Hakim and Hamoudi are leading an “urgent mediation” to contain the tension between Al-Zaydi and the brigades.
Al-Hakim and Hamoudi are leading an “urgent mediation” to contain the tension between Al-Zaydi and the brigades.
2026-11-08
Shafaq News – Baghdad
On Sunday, an informed political source revealed that Ammar al-Hakim, leader of the Wisdom Movement, and Humam Hamoudi, head of the Supreme Islamic Council, are leading efforts to conduct urgent mediation between Prime Minister Ali al-Zubaidi and Kataib Hezbollah, with the aim of containing the tension and preventing its escalation in the coming period.
The source told Shafaq News Agency that the ongoing contacts come amid fears that the escalation between the two sides will move from the media level to a field confrontation, which could lead to serious repercussions on the internal situation in the country.
He added that this mediation enjoys the support of all parties within the coordination framework, and aims to contain the dispute and prevent any internal clash that could have negative repercussions on political and security stability in Iraq in the coming period.
The past few days have witnessed an escalation in the dispute between Iraqi Prime Minister Ali al-Zubaidi and Kataib Hezbollah, against the backdrop of political, security and economic issues, which included mutual media disputes and government measures that included activating arrest warrants issued against a number of wanted individuals linked to the brigades.
In the context of these developments, an informed source told Shafaq News Agency earlier that Al-Zaydi directed the cancellation of three contracts at Mosul International Airport, which he said were linked to armed groups. These included the contract of “Sky Plus” company to rent airport counters, the contract of “Sama Airport” company to rent the unroofed indoor garage, as well as the contract of “Al-Faisal Al-Shamikh” company to rent the taxi office, with the directive to transfer these services to international companies.
These directives came in conjunction with a government announcement of efforts to accelerate the operation of Mosul International Airport, through contracting with specialized international companies to undertake joint operation and management tasks, which will contribute to developing its performance and enhancing its role in transportation and economic activity.
In contrast, Kataib Hezbollah escalated its rhetoric against the Prime Minister, attacking his brother Hassan al-Zaidi over contracts related to it, and expressing surprise at the “hostility” that al-Zaidi’s government harbors towards armed factions, as it put it.
In another instance, the security official of the brigades, Abu Mujahid al-Assaf, questioned the position of the framework members regarding the sale of oil at reduced prices and the sharing of profits, estimating the value of those profits at more than 4.5 trillion dinars per month, and he also criticized the government’s performance.
Al-Assaf said in a statement received by Shafaq News Agency that it had only made promises that were not fulfilled, coinciding with the worsening of problems, in reference to the Al-Zaidi government.
The disagreements extended to the course of negotiations between the government and the armed factions, as an informed source revealed to Shafaq News Agency earlier that some members of the four-member committee tasked with negotiating with the factions, including the leader of the Badr Organization, Hadi al-Amiri, were displeased with al-Zaydi holding separate meetings with leaders of factions that refuse to hand over their weapons, fearing that these moves would lead to adverse results on the course of the dialogue.
According to the source, the committee had made progress in its discussions, with a commitment to completing its mission by the end of June 2027, but continued disagreements over the terms of arms delivery and the required guarantees have prevented a final settlement so far.
The issue of restricting weapons to the state is one of the most prominent points of contention between the government and the armed factions, in light of declared positions from Kataib Hezbollah, Harakat al-Nujaba and Kataib Sayyid al-Shuhada that refuse to give up their military capabilities.
The Iraqi government’s efforts in this matter have received declared American support, as the US State Department confirmed in a previous statement to Shafaq News Agency its support for al-Zaidi’s efforts to extend state sovereignty, confiscate weapons, and prevent armed attacks, while the White House stressed the need to transfer the factions’ weapons to the federal government.
shafaq.com
