Al-Aboudi to the US Chargé d’Affaires: Iraq is committed to consolidating stability and controlling weapons.
2026-08-24
Shafaq News – Baghdad
National Security Advisor Qasim al-Aboudi informed the US Chargé d’Affaires in Baghdad, Joshua Harris, on Monday that the Iraqi government is proceeding with its plans to consolidate security and stability and reduce escalation in the region, in addition to organizing the process of restricting weapons to the state.
Al-Aboudi, during his meeting with Harris, according to a statement issued by his office and received by Shafaq News Agency, affirmed that Prime Minister Ali Faleh al-Zaidi seeks to build national institutions capable of making Read more…
Al-Zaidi discusses military cooperation with Russia and Germany
2026-08-24
Shafaq News – Baghdad
On Monday, Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi discussed military cooperation and the development of Iraqi forces’ capabilities with delegations from Russia and Germany.
A statement from Al-Zaidi’s office, received by Shafaq News Agency, said that Al-Zaidi received the head of the Federal Service for Military-Technical Cooperation of the Russian Federation, Dmitry Shugaev, and his accompanying delegation, in the presence of the Russian ambassador to Iraq.
He added that during the meeting, prospects for military cooperation between the two countries were discussed, as Read more…
PepsiCo is heading to Iraq to expand its production in the Middle East.
2026-08-24
Shafaq News – Special Translation
The British website “Food Navigator” stated that Iraq’s role as a regional manufacturing hub for “PepsiCo” is increasing, as despite the ongoing turmoil in the Middle East, the company is doubling down on expanding its regional production.
The British website specializing in food affairs explained in a report translated by Shafaq News Agency that despite the dominance of war news in Iran throughout 2026, with no end to the conflict in sight, life and business continue as normal in other parts of the region.
The website cited Iraq as an example in its report, Read more…
Iraq after September 30th: From the handover of weapons to the engineering of the transition
8-24-2026
Haider al-Aboudi, the spokesperson for the Iraqi government, spoke about the event being followed by all internal and regional political circles regarding the American withdrawal and the handover of weapons by armed factions. He emphasized that September 30, 2026, represents the date for the completion of sovereignty and the withdrawal of the international coalition, and is not a final deadline for the factions to hand over their weapons. He stressed that the dialogue regarding restricting weapons to the state is progressing well Read more…
Tehran: We have not received an official invitation to join the Mecca Agreement.
8-24-2026
Tehran denied receiving an invitation to join the Mecca Joint Defense Agreement, signed between Saudi Arabia, Turkey and Pakistan. Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Ismail Baghaei confirmed at a press conference: “We have not received an official invitation, but proposals have been made to hold talks with these countries for the sake of collective security in the region.”
My statement came hours after statements by Mehdi Rahimi, head of the Iranian parliament’s “Khaneh Mellat” news agency, who said that “Iran has received an invitation to join the Mecca Agreement, and the matter is under review and evaluation in Tehran,” Read more…
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Iraqi Dinar Guru opinions 8-23-2026
8-23-2026 Newshound Guru Jeff The amount of dinar right now presently around the world is 136 trillion….Is the dinar outside [Iraq] usable for anything? Hell no it’s not. So, does the central bank give two shits about it? Absolutely not…Why? It’s not usable, can’t be used for anything outside of Iraq…The United States has about half of Iraq’s money supply. Can the US do anything with it? Nope…The Central Bank only cares about how much dinar is physically within the country of Iraq. It’s roughly 20 to 40 trillion. Read more…
Iraq is participating in the “largest global event” for natural gas affairs in Thailand.
2026-08-23
Shafaq News – Baghdad
A source in the Oil Ministry revealed on Sunday that a representative from Iraq will attend the world’s “biggest” natural gas event next month in Thailand.
The source told Shafaq News Agency that the Undersecretary of the Ministry for Gas Affairs, Izzat Saber Ismail, will participate in the International Natural Gas and Liquefied Natural Gas Exhibition “Gas Tech 2026 ”, in response to an invitation from the American company “Baker Hoes”, which is organizing this exhibition, which is considered “the largest global event for natural gas and liquefied natural gas affairs”. Read more…
A forthcoming meeting with Türkiye paves the way for a “Development Road” agreement.
2026/08/23
The Ministry of Transport revealed that a third meeting with the Turkish side is imminent, with the aim of finalizing the discussions and concluding a cooperation agreement to implement the Development Road project. While it reported that the completion rates of the railway project plans have reached 90 percent, it indicated that multiple options have been proposed to finance the implementation, including the oil-for-reconstruction mechanism. Read more…
2027 budget: Assumed oil price of $60-$70
2026/08/23
The Ministries of Finance and Planning are intensifying their efforts to finalize the draft federal budget law for the year (2027), in preparation for submitting it to Parliament by the end of October or the beginning of November, setting a hypothetical oil price ranging between (60 and 70) dollars per barrel as a key basis for determining revenues and the size of the budget.
Spending.
The Prime Minister’s economic advisor, Mazhar Muhammad Saleh, explained to Al-Sabah that the draft budget will Read more…
Iraq prepares to declare “full sovereignty”
2026/08/23
Political and security circles are anticipating the upcoming September 30th milestone as a crucial turning point for ending the military mission of the international coalition and achieving full national sovereignty, in parallel with parliamentary and governmental efforts to pass laws guaranteeing the decision to restrict weapons to the state.
In a dialogue session moderated by the head of the Iraqi Media Network, Abdul Karim Hammadi, as part of the “Eighth Baghdad Dialogue Conference”, President Nizar Amidi affirmed Read more…
Shiite consensus: Factional weapons to be transferred to Popular Mobilization Forces depots following the passage of the service and retirement law.
2026-08-23
Shafaq News – Baghdad
A source within the coordination framework revealed on Sunday that there is an agreement among the leaders of the “Shia House” on the need to finalize the service and retirement law for members of the Popular Mobilization Forces within the House of Representatives before the end of next September, in parallel with arrangements related to the management of the weapons of the armed factions. Read more…
Parliamentary Finance Committee: Baghdad has requested a delegation from Erbil to discuss the 2027 budget.
2026-08-23
Shafaq News – Baghdad
On Sunday, Ikhlas al-Dulaimi, a member of the parliamentary finance committee, announced that the federal Ministry of Finance had sent an official request to the Kurdistan Regional Government to send a delegation to Baghdad to discuss the region’s share in the 2027 general budget law.
Al-Dulaimi, a member of parliament from the Kurdistan Democratic Party bloc, told Shafaq News Agency that “the region’s share in the budget law has become 14% according to the latest Read more…
Ministry of Defense: September 30 is the deadline for the coalition’s withdrawal, and our forces are capable of managing security and protecting the borders.
8-23-2026
Major General Tahsin al-Khafaji, Director of Moral Guidance Media at the Ministry of Defense, confirmed that September 30th is the final date for the withdrawal of the international coalition forces according to the specified timetables. He stressed the complete readiness of the security forces to protect the country and manage the security file. Major General al-Khafaji told the official agency, “September 30th is a final date and within the timetables set by the Iraqi state in agreement with the international coalition. This matter was not a spur-of-the-moment decision, but rather the result of prior planning and Read more…
Political assurances and anticipation surrounding the finalization of ministerial portfolios in Al-Zidi’s cabinet.
8-23-2026
Information/Baghdad…
Ali Hussein, a member of the Coordination Framework, confirmed on Sunday that the vacant ministerial portfolios in Al-Zidi’s cabinet will soon be filled, explaining that the failure to submit more than one candidate for each ministerial portfolio was one of the reasons for the delay in filling the government positions.
Hussein told Al-Maalomah that “the mechanism for submitting candidates for the ministerial cabinet has changed from previous sessions, where political blocs used to put forward three Read more…
An economist explains the government’s options for securing funding.
8-23-2026
Information/Baghdad…
Economic expert Safwan Qusay explained the government’s options for securing and covering expenses amidst the ongoing financial crisis and declining oil exports.
Qusay told Al-Maalouma, “There are a number of proposals currently being studied at the Ministry of Finance to reduce domestic borrowing through in-kind spending to cover the demands of contractors and farmers, in addition to some projects and companies operating in the private sector that are indebted to the Ministry of Finance.” Read more…
MP: Solar energy is a quick solution to Iraq’s electricity crisis
8-23-2026
Information/Baghdad…
MP Ali Kadhim, from the “Good News, Iraq” coalition, confirmed on Sunday that Iraq continues to suffer from a worsening electricity crisis due to the failure to address the problem over the past years. He called on the government to adopt more flexible plans to provide energy to citizens.
Kadhim told the Information Agency that “the electricity crisis has not been addressed for years, causing many problems for citizens,” stressing “the need to develop practical and rapid solutions to mitigate its repercussions.” Read more…
Maliki’s coalition submits four names of candidates to head the Ministry of Interior
8-23-2026
Information/Baghdad…
Informed sources revealed on Sunday that the State of Law Coalition has submitted four names as candidates for the Ministry of Interior portfolio in Ali al-Zaidi’s government.
The sources explained to Al-Maalouma that “the State of Law Coalition has indeed sent four names as candidates for the Ministry of Interior to the current Prime Minister, Ali al-Zaidi, for him to choose from,” indicating that “the coalition remains committed to its entitlement to the Ministry of Interior, which falls under its electoral mandate, Read more…
Maliki’s coalition settles the debate: We are sticking with “Atta and Khaza’i” for the Interior and Education portfolios.
8-23-2026
The State of Law Coalition, led by Nouri al-Maliki, affirmed on Sunday its absolute commitment to its nominees for the Ministries of Interior and Higher Education and Scientific Research, while categorically denying any political agreements to alter or reshuffle the ministerial seats allocated to the coalition. Former MP Jassim Mohammed Jaafar, a leading figure in the coalition, told Al-Maalomah News Agency, “The State of Law Coalition remains committed to its electoral and political entitlement to the Interior and Higher Education portfolios within the government formation,” revealing that “the official list of nominees has been sent to Prime Minister Ali al-Zubaidi.” Read more…
Mahmoud: Parliament and political forces are required to reject American guardianship over Iraq.
8-23-2026
Information/Baghdad…
MP Shaker Mahmoud called on the Iraqi Parliament and political forces on Sunday to reject American military and political tutelage over Iraq, stressing the need to strengthen national decision-making independence and liberate the country from economic domination.
Mahmoud told the Information Agency that “the current stage requires a clear national stance from Parliament and political forces to reject any form of American tutelage or interference in Iraqi affairs,” explaining that “Iraq’s Read more…
Al-Kaabi: Reservations about the candidates for Defense and Interior, and things are moving towards finalizing the cabinet.
8-23-2026
Information/Baghdad…
MP Hassan al-Kaabi revealed on Sunday that there are political reservations regarding the candidates for the Ministries of Defense and Interior, indicating that matters are moving towards resolution and the completion of the remaining cabinet positions.
Al-Kaabi told the Information Agency, “There are reservations regarding the Ministries of Defense and Interior, and discussions are still ongoing among the relevant political parties to reach a consensus on them.” Read more…
