Political blocs are rearranging their strategies… and alternatives for rejected candidates will be considered after the holiday.
2026-05-23
Shafaq News – Baghdad
The head of the “Design” coalition, Amer Al-Fayez, confirmed on Saturday that the completion of the ministerial cabinet of Prime Minister Ali Al-Zidi’s government will take place after the Eid holiday, either through an emergency session or after the end of the legislative holiday of the House of Representatives.
Al-Fayez told Shafaq News Agency that the political forces and blocs are holding internal meetings to discuss Read more…
Trump: The final decision on Iran may be made tomorrow.
2026-05-23
Shafaq News – Washington
On Saturday, US President Donald Trump revealed his hesitation between moving towards a new agreement with Tehran or launching a military strike against it.
Trump told Axios that he would hold a meeting today with his top advisers to discuss the latest draft of the agreement with Iran, noting that a final decision could be made tomorrow.
He added that he would later meet with envoy Steve Wittkopf, along with Read more…
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After the Eid holiday, Al-Bayati will decide on the timing for releasing the 2026 budget.
5-23-2026
The Information Agency/Baghdad…
MP Mohammed al-Bayati confirmed on Saturday that the issue of the 2026 budget will be resolved after the Eid al-Adha holiday, indicating that the timing of its submission will become clearer in the coming period.
Al-Bayati told the Information Agency, “The constitutional and legal procedures have determined the mechanism for dealing with the draft budget law, which begins with a vote by the Council of Ministers, then its referral to Read more…
Al-Muslawi: The Iraqi economy will not remain hostage to the decisions of the US Federal Reserve.
5-23-2026
Information/Special…
Firas al-Muslawi, spokesperson for the Reconstruction and Development Coalition, affirmed on Saturday that the time has come to end the dollar’s dominance over Iraqi resources, indicating that government plans are geared towards diversifying financial transactions to protect the national economy.
Al-Muslawi told the Information Agency, “American control through the Federal Reserve’s platforms has become a real obstacle to the reconstruction and sustainable development Read more…
The coordination framework sets 3 conditions for deciding on candidates for the security ministries in Al-Zaydi’s government.
5-23-2026
The Information/Baghdad…
On Saturday, Uday Abdul-Hadi, a member of the Coordination Framework, confirmed that three essential criteria must be met by candidates for the security ministries in Ali al-Zaidi’s government.
Speaking to Al-Maalouma, Abdul-Hadi stated that “the various factions within the Coordination Framework agree on the importance of finalizing the remaining ministerial appointments in al-Zaidi’s government after the Eid al-Adha holiday.” He emphasized that “this finalization requires three key criteria Read more…
National Democratic Union: No single party holds a majority, and the regional government will be formed by consensus.
5-23-2026
The Information Agency / Baghdad…
Diyar Aqrawi, a member of the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK), confirmed on Saturday that the results of the recent elections in the Kurdistan Region clearly showed that no Kurdish party secured a majority of 50% + 1 seats, necessitating the formation of the next government based on genuine understanding and alliance.
Aqrawi told the Information Agency that “the current political landscape precludes the principle of unilateral decision-making pursued by some parties, most notably Read more…
Expert: Banias pipeline is unusable for resuming Iraqi oil exports
5-23-2026
Information / Baghdad…
Oil expert Hamza al-Jawahiri denied on Saturday the existence of any technical obstacles or lengthy timeframes that might delay the reactivation of oil wells and pipelines that were shut down due to the departure of foreign company personnel because of regional security conditions, or as a result of the halt in exports, as some have claimed.
Al-Jawahiri told the Information Agency that “talk of problems hindering a rapid return to production at the closed sites is inaccurate,” noting a limited Read more…
Parliament faces a new crisis: widespread controversy surrounds the vote on the cabinet.
5-23-2026
The political compass in Iraq is pointing towards a new phase of power struggles within the halls of parliament, with clear indications of widening disagreements within the House of Representatives regarding the completion of Prime Minister Ali al-Zubaidi’s cabinet. An analytical reading of the current situation reveals a complex crisis with both technical and political dimensions. The mechanism used to manage voting sessions has become the subject of explicit accusations of unprofessionalism, amidst escalating parliamentary demands to transition to automation and electronic voting Read more…
MP rules out sending the budget and calls for an alternative emergency plan
5-23-2026
Information / Baghdad…
Member of Parliament Ali al-Zirjawi called on Saturday for the enactment of an emergency plan in the form of a law similar to the “Food Security Law,” to be voted on in Parliament as soon as possible. He ruled out the possibility of the government sending the general budget schedules to Parliament in the near future.
Al-Zirjawi told the Information Agency, “The country is going through economic crises that require urgent parliamentary solutions, which Read more…
Is the Zaidi government afraid of being honest?
2026-05-23
Ali Al-Hayani
It is clear that every new government that comes to Iraq seeks from its first days to achieve media successes and to present itself in a different light from previous governments. This behavior is no longer new to Iraqis, who are used to seeing propaganda campaigns and showy movements with every change of government. It seems that some governments realize that part of public opinion is influenced by the image and first impression more than the complex details related to running the state.
But behind this picture lie real challenges that cannot be ignored. Iraq still Read more…
Iraq: 16 months without a budget and warnings of crises
2026-05-23
Shafaq News – Baghdad
Sixteen months have passed without a federal budget being passed in Iraq, amid official warnings and expert concerns about the future of public spending, especially as thousands of projects are stalled and employment mechanisms have been disrupted, in a scene that reflects a financial crisis that goes beyond the accounting dimension to the structure of the economy itself.
The government was legally supposed to send the 2025 budget schedules to the House of Representatives before Read more…
CBS: Trump will launch strikes against Iran within the next 72 hours
2026-05-23
Shafaq News – Washington
CBS News reported on Saturday that President Donald Trump, the Pentagon, and intelligence agencies are preparing to resume military strikes on Iran within the next 72 hours.
The network quoted informed sources as saying: “As of Friday evening, no final decision had been made regarding the possibility of launching new strikes.”
The sources added that some military and intelligence leaders cancelled their plans for Memorial Day weekend Read more…
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In revenge for Soleimani: An Iraqi plot to assassinate Ivanka Trump has been revealed.
2026-05-23
Shafaq News – Translation
An American report revealed a plot to assassinate Ivanka Trump, the daughter of the current US president, noting that the leader of Kataib Hezbollah, Muhammad Baqir al-Saadi, was behind it, in revenge for the killing of the commander of the Quds Force of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard, Qassem Soleimani, in an American strike near Baghdad airport in 2020.
The New York Post reported, in a report translated by Shafaq News Agency, that Al-Saadi, 32, pledged to the Iranian Read more…
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Contrary to what is being reported in the media, this is a “last chance” for Iran, and Trump’s response is coming.
2026-05-23
Shafaq News – Washington/ Mustafa Hashim
Tom Harb, director of the American Middle East Coalition for Democracy and a prominent member of the Republican Party, revealed on Saturday details that contradicted recent reports about reaching a preliminary agreement or outlines for a new agreement between the United States and Iran, describing the reports on this matter as “lacking any credibility and falling within the realm of evasions.”
Harb clarified this in a special statement to Shafaq News Agency, in response to media reports and speculations Read more…
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The Iraqi Ministry of Electricity forms a special emergency room to address the challenges of summer 2026.
2026-05-23
Shafaq News – Baghdad
Electricity Minister Ali Saadi Wahib directed on Saturday the formation of a special central emergency room to address the challenges of the summer of 2026 and the preparations related to the Arbaeen pilgrimage in the city of Karbala, with the aim of ensuring the stability of the electrical system and securing the supply of power to the pilgrims in a continuous and stable manner during the pilgrimage period.
During his meeting with members of the Emergency Committee, the Minister stressed the importance of rapid field Read more…
Iraq is part of a $700 million international cable project linking the Gulf to Europe.
2026-05-23
Shafaq News – Baghdad
A report issued by S&P Global Market Intelligence revealed that Iraq will be part of the international cable project “WorldLink”, which aims to create a new digital corridor linking the Gulf region to Europe via Iraqi territory, as part of a global expansion wave in submarine cable and data transmission projects.
The report stated that the project, costing approximately $700 million, is privately funded and involves an Emirati-Iraqi consortium comprising Read more…
Iraq and 26 other countries are requesting emergency funding from the World Bank.
2026-05-23
Shafaq News – Follow-up
Reuters revealed on Saturday that 27 countries, including Iraq, have begun activating emergency financing mechanisms from the World Bank since the outbreak of the war with Iran, with the aim of confronting the increasing economic repercussions resulting from the disruption of energy markets and global supply chains.
Reuters quoted an internal World Bank document stating that the World Bank’s Crisis Toolkit allows countries to Read more…
Iraq receives its first TIR shipment from Syria and a new crossing via Al-Yarubiyah
2026-05-23
Shafaq News – Baghdad
The Iraqi Ministry of Finance announced on Saturday that the Al-Walid border customs center received the first international land transit shipment under the global (TIR) system, coming from Syria and heading to the State of Kuwait via the Safwan border crossing.
The ministry explained in a statement that the customs staff completed the inspection and verification procedures for seals and documents with high flexibility within the customs yards, in Read more…
Collapse of Iraq’s longest bridge
2026-05-23
Shafaq News – Diyala
A government source revealed on Saturday that a collapse had occurred in the approaches to the Hamrin Bridge, which is the longest in Iraq, due to the rising water levels of the lake.
The source told Shafaq News Agency that “a delegation from the provincial council and the Diyala Roads and Bridges Directorate conducted a field visit to assess the conditions of the Hamrin Bridge, which is considered the longest in Iraq, after Read more…
Al-Zaidi to Masrour Barzani: We are all partners in this nation, and our goal is to solve problems and reach an agreement.
2026-05-23
Shafaq News – Baghdad / Erbil
Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi expressed his desire on Saturday to resolve the outstanding disputes and issues between Erbil and Baghdad.
During his meeting with Kurdistan Regional Government Prime Minister Masrour Barzani in Baghdad, Al-Zaidi said, “We are all partners in this country, and our goal is to solve problems, reach an agreement, and serve all Read more…
