Iraq launches a large-scale campaign to assert sovereignty over its maritime lanes
Iraq launches a large-scale campaign to assert sovereignty over its maritime lanes
2025-08-05 05:58
Shafaq News – Basra
The General Company for Iraqi Ports announced on Tuesday the launch of an expanded preemptive security campaign to survey and secure territorial waters and sea lanes, in coordination with the naval forces and security and intelligence agencies. This move aims to enhance maritime sovereignty and ensure the safety of navigation.
The Director General of the General Company for Iraqi Ports, Farhan Al-Fartousi, told Shafaq News Agency, “The campaign began at Marker 162, the last point in Khor Abdullah towards the sea, and is being implemented in full coordination with the Naval Forces Command, military and civilian intelligence departments, and security leaders in Basra Governorate.”
Al-Fartousi added, “The security operation aims to control the movement of unknown and suspicious vessels within Iraqi territorial waters. We have prior information about some of the vessels and will investigate them during the campaign.”
He explained that “the General Company for Iraqi Ports, as the entity responsible for the maritime sector, has the authority to monitor and track ship movements in coordination with the Maritime Authority, which is authorized to issue security permits and approvals.”
He explained that “every ship detected within territorial waters is first subjected to a documentation and verification process. If it is proven to be unauthorized, legal action will be taken against it, either by removing it from Iraqi waters or detaining it if it poses a security threat.”
Al-Fartousi emphasized that “this campaign is part of efforts to enforce the state’s sovereignty over maritime corridors and waterways, prevent any violations that could threaten national security, and reflect the seriousness of protecting Iraq’s maritime borders from any potential violations.”
shafaq.com
