Al-Zidi’s cabinet is nearing completion; Parliament prepares to vote on nine ministerial portfolios.
8-29-2026
Information/Baghdad…
Najat Al-Tai, a leader in the Al-Azm Alliance, confirmed on Saturday that the vote on the remaining ministerial portfolios in Ali Al-Zidi’s government will be decided during the next week or the week after at the latest, while she indicated that her alliance had submitted its candidates for two ministries that it was entitled to.
Al-Ta’i explained in her interview with Al-Ma’louma that “the recent meetings that brought together representatives Read more…
Diyala settles the debate regarding the submerged dam… a project that residents have been waiting for for years.
8-29-2026
Information/Diyala…
The Diyala Provincial Council denied on Saturday that the Ministry of Water Resources had abandoned the idea of building a submerged dam on the Diyala River, which represents a hope that the people have been waiting for for more than half a century.
Council Chairman Omar Al-Karawi explained to Al-Maalouma that “the news reported by some websites regarding the Ministry of Water Resources abandoning the idea of building a submerged dam on the Diyala River is inaccurate, and we deny it completely,” stressing that “the Ministry sent a committee Read more…
Post-Cabinet: MP sets date for deciding on deputy prime ministers
8-29-2026
Information/Baghdad…
MP Hamid Abbas confirmed on Saturday that the issue of deputy prime ministers has not yet been resolved, indicating that it will be decided after the completion of the cabinet.
Abbas told the Information Agency, “The issue of deputy prime ministers has not been resolved at this moment,” noting that “the matter will be postponed until after the cabinet is finalized.”
He added, “The current focus is on filling the vacant ministerial positions and Read more…
White House: Hormuz is open and Iran has not exported oil since the resumption of the embargo
2026-08-29
Shafaq News – Washington
White House adviser Stephen Miller said on Saturday that the Strait of Hormuz is open to the United States, noting that Iran has not exported any oil through its shores since the resumption of the US embargo last month.
Miller added, according to US media, that “the Iranian naval and air forces, radars and military command structure are finished,” considering that what US President Donald Trump achieved in Iran represents “the greatest military achievement in the history of modern warfare.” Read more…
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The biggest oil deal in history: America seizes 65 billion barrels of Venezuela’s reserves
2026-08-29
Shafaq News – Washington
Early Saturday, US President Donald Trump announced an unprecedented campaign to seize control of about 20% of Venezuela’s vast oil reserves, relying on the ability of US companies to revive the deteriorating energy sector in this OPEC member country, while providing a new source of crude oil to help lower fuel prices in the United States.
Trump provided few details about the agreement, saying only that the United States had secured a controlling majority stake in more than 65 billion barrels of Venezuela’s proven oil reserves through a partnership with the private sector. Read more…
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Hebrew report: The American embargo on Iran is suffocating it from within
2026-08-29
Shafaq News – Follow-up
An Israeli analytical article painted a bleak picture of the situation inside Iran, arguing that the repercussions of the war, the siege and American sanctions, along with economic deterioration and social tensions, are putting the Islamic Republic in front of one of its most complex crises since its founding.
The article, published on the website of the Yediot Aharonot group, stated that the pressures facing Tehran are no longer limited to external confrontation, but have extended, according to its author, to the economy, the social base of the regime, and confidence in its leadership, coinciding with the continued absence of Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei from public appearances. Read more…
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Exclusive: General blackout of all privately owned generators in Iraq at the beginning of September
2026-08-29
Shafaq News – Baghdad
The head of the Baghdad Generators Association, Dhargham Al-Shuwaili, confirmed on Saturday that generator owners intend to shut down all generators in Iraq at the beginning of next month, in protest against the failure to implement Prime Minister Ali Al-Zubaidi’s directives regarding supporting them.
Al-Shuwaili told Shafaq News Agency that “the measure comes in protest against the failure to implement the directives of Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi regarding support for generator owners.” Read more…
Exclusive from Washington: Withdrawal allowance from Iraq to be “reduced” on September 30
2026-08-29
Shafaq News – Washington/ Mustafa Hashim
A senior White House official said on Saturday that the United States and its coalition partners will reduce their military missions in Iraq by September 30, at the direction of President Donald Trump.
The official told Shafaq News Agency that this reduction reflects the shared success in fighting ISIS and represents a move towards a permanent bilateral security partnership between Baghdad and Washington, in accordance with American national interests, the Iraqi constitution, and the Strategic Framework Agreement between the two countries. Read more…
The Democratic Party avoids the option of early elections and urges the activation of the Kurdistan Parliament.
2026-08-29
Shafaq News – Erbil
The official spokesman for the Kurdistan Democratic Party, Mahmoud Mohammed, confirmed on Saturday that his party seeks to follow an approach that prevents going towards early elections in the Kurdistan Region, stressing the need to expedite the activation of the parliament’s work and proceed with forming the new government.
The Kurdistan Region held its parliamentary elections in October 2024 after a two-year postponement, with Read more…
Factories shut down and contracts stalled: A research center lays out a roadmap to save Iraqi industry.
2026-08-29
Shafaq News – Special Translation
Iraq needs genuine industrial reform to build a state, because success is not measured by the number of contracts, committees and employees, but rather, according to the Amman-based “ Center for Links for Research and Strategic Studies ” institute, by answering questions such as: How many factories have been revived? How many real job opportunities have we created? How much investment have we attracted? How much technology have we transferred? How much import have we replaced with real Iraqi production? How many dollars have we added to Iraq’s exports? Read more…
An Iraqi minister attributes the housing crisis to corruption: 300 properties and orchards are controlled by two individuals, one of whom is Al-Jumaili.
2026-08-29
Shafaq News – Baghdad
Iraqi Minister of Communications Mustafa Jabbar Sand attributed the housing crisis in the country on Saturday to widespread corruption, real estate hoarding, and the acquisition of real estate assets by influential people, noting that just two people own more than 300 properties and orchards.
Sand said in a post on social media that “the assistant director of the Real Estate Registration Department in Salah al-Din Governorate owns 95 properties, while the detained defendant Adnan al-Jumaili owns 210 properties and orchards,” indicating that these acquisitions by only two people reflect Read more…
The Minister of Oil directs the acceleration of the signing of the contract for the strategic pipeline project for export outlets in Iraq.
2026-08-29
Shafaq News – Baghdad
Oil Minister Bassem Mohammed Khudair Al-Abadi directed on Saturday that procedures for the strategic export pipeline project be expedited and that technical and commercial discussions be intensified to reach the contract signing stage as soon as possible, during an expanded meeting that included senior leaders in the ministry.
A statement from the ministry said that the meeting was attended by the Undersecretary of the Ministry for Read more…
Al-Zaydi: We directed the exposure of corrupt individuals and the activation of the law rewarding informants.
2026-08-29
Shafaq News – Baghdad
During his visit on Saturday to the headquarters of the Federal Integrity Commission, Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi directed the activation of the law rewarding informants about corruption cases, the strengthening of monitoring border crossings, and the exposure of corrupt individuals, stressing the need to submit monthly and quarterly reports on the progress of combating corruption and the level of achievement. Read more…
Documents reveal that the Central Bank of Iraq imposes strict controls on the movement of funds belonging to senior officials.
2026-08-29
Shafaq News – Baghdad
The Central Bank of Iraq directed financial institutions to adopt general indicators related to senior officials and those holding high positions by virtue of their positions, with the aim of strengthening anti-money laundering and counter-terrorism financing measures and raising the level of control over sources of funds and account movements.
According to a document issued by the Central Bank and seen by Shafaq News Agency, the indicators represent Read more…
A meeting is expected between the Democratic Party and the National Union to overcome differences.
8-29-2026
The spokesman for the Kurdistan Democratic Party, Mahmoud Mohammed, announced that a meeting is expected to be held “in the near future” between his party and the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan, to discuss and examine points of disagreement between the two sides at the dialogue table. Mohammed confirmed, in a press statement, the continuation of contacts and mutual visits between the two parties, noting that other political parties have made strenuous efforts to bring viewpoints closer and prepare the atmosphere Read more…
Pezeshkian confirms that the sanctions are affecting the Iranian economy.
8-29-2026
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian asserted that the US sanctions imposed on his country are damaging the Iranian economy. In an interview with state television on Friday evening, Pezeshkian stated, “Some say that the sanctions have no effect at all. I really don’t know how to respond to these people.” He added, “We are in a state of war, and we must accept the conditions imposed by war.” Read more…
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Government financial advisor: Iraq’s foreign reserves are within safe levels
8-29-2026
The Prime Minister’s financial advisor, Mazhar Muhammad Salih, confirmed on Saturday that Iraq’s foreign reserves remain at relatively safe levels, noting the importance of monitoring this trend and maintaining the safety margin. Salih told the official news agency that “the International Monetary Fund estimated Iraq’s total reserves at about $79.2 billion for 2026, according to its estimates published in 2025, which is equivalent to about 9.6 months of imports of goods and services,” indicating that Iraq’s foreign reserves are currently close to this level. Read more…
Iraqi Dinar Guru opinions 8-28-2026
8-28-2026 Newshound Guru Stephen Redomination versus revaluation. Redomination refers to just chopping off the three zeros – a 25,000 dinar note you would chop off the three zeros so it is worth about 25. It would be a neutral event if they redenominate the currency. Sometimes it’s referred to as a lop. They lop the 3 zeros. We don’t make any money…Iraq’s inflation rate is…3%. Kuwait’s inflation rate is about 2.5%…If Iraq’s inflation was out of control, redenomination would probably be the likely way of it going. If they never intended to revalue the currency, if they were just going to cut the 3 zeros off…they could have done that easily over the last 23 years. They haven’t. There’s a reason for it. There’s been a plan in place all these years for there to be a substantial value with these notes that we hold. Read more…
Washington places Taif Sami on its terrorism watch list
2026-08-28
Shafaq News – Washington
On Friday, Assistant Secretary of State for Global Public Affairs Dylan Johnson announced that the State Department had revoked the visa of former Iraqi Finance Minister Taif Sami.
According to Johnson, who told Fox News: “While the Biden State Department shamefully celebrated and awarded prizes to foreigners who threaten our nation, the Trump State Department is revoking their visas and ensuring these individuals are kept out of our country.” Read more…
Al-Salihi: Saudi Arabia seized an Iraqi oil pipeline more than 40 years ago
8-28-2026
Al-Maalomah/Baghdad –
Ahmed Abdul Sattar Al-Salehi, a member of the Anbar Alliance, revealed on Friday that Saudi Arabia has been controlling an Iraqi oil pipeline for over 40 years, despite the fact that the Iraqi government funded the entire project.
Al-Salehi told Al-Maalomah News Agency, “All the successive governments that have ruled the country since 2003 have failed to reclaim the Iraqi oil pipeline (Al-Mu’ajiz Port), which was completed in the 1980s with Iraqi funds. To this day, none of these governments have been able to recover the pipeline.” Read more…
