Category: Monitoring the Crisis

ISHM: May 25 – June 1, 2023

Key Takeaways: Draft Budget Changes Raise Strong KRG Objections; Iraq’s Top Court Says Extending The Kurdistan Parliament’s Term Was Unconstitutional – On May 25, the parliamentary finance committee made several last minute amendments to the 2023-2025 federal budget bill. The changes, which require the KRG to compensate public servants for… Read more

ISHM: MAY 18 – 25, 2023

Key Takeaways: UNAMI Presents New Update On Iraq; Sudani Attends Arab League Summit; KDP-PUK Disputes Over Regional Elections Intensify – On May 18, UNAMI’s Jeanine Hennis-Plasschaert delivered a new briefing to the Security Council that reaffirmed that Sudani’s government has “shown its resolve to tackle…pressing issues” facing Iraq, and commended… Read more

ISHM: May 4 – 11, 2023

Key Takeaways: Neighbors Attend Water Conference In Baghdad; Halbousi Faces New Political Threats; PUK To End Its Boycott Of KRG Cabinet Meetings – On May 6, Iran’s Energy Minister and Syria’s Irrigation Minister visited Baghdad to participate in an international conference on water organized by the Iraqi government. Turkish ministers… Read more

ISHM: April 27 – May 4, 2023

Key Takeaways: Kataib Hezbollah Sues Former PM Kadhimi Over Soleimani’s Assassination; Sudani’s Government Replaces Dozens Of Director Generals – On April 30, the general prosecutor in Iraq asked the central investigation court to look into allegations by a lawmaker affiliated with Kataib Hezbollah that implicate former PM Kadhimi in the… Read more

ISHM: APRIL 20 – 27, 2023

Key Takeaways: Resignation Raises Concerns About Threats To IHEC’s Independence – On April 25, news reports said that powerful parties within the Coordination Framework plan to replace the current leadership of the Independent High Electoral Commission (IHEC) with a new one comprising “partisan representatives disguised as experts.” The report comes… Read more

ISHM: APRIL 13 – 20, 2023

Key Takeaways: Parliamentary Report Questions Excessive Spending In Proposed Budget; Cabinet Reshuffle May Be Imminent – On April 17, the parliamentary finance committee released a detailed report criticizing several aspects of the three-year budget proposed by PM Sudani’s cabinet. The report highlighted several staggering increases in spending and staffing allocated… Read more

ISHM: APRIL 6 – 13, 2023

Key Takeaways: Barzani Invites Sadr To Return To Politics; Anbar Corruption Case Increases Pressure On Halbousi – On April 8, KRG President Nechirvan Barzani called on Muqtada al-Sadr to “initiate new, multilateral talks” with Iraq’s political powers, saying such dialogue was necessary “to consolidate the political system…and find a political… Read more

ISHM: March 30 – April 6, 2023

Key Takeaways: Baghdad And Erbil Reach “Temporary” Deal To Resume Oil Exports Through Turkey – On April 4, Iraq’s Oil Ministry and the KRG Natural Resources Ministry signed a temporary agreement to resume oil exports from fields in Kurdistan and Kirkuk via the Iraq-Turkey pipeline. Exports were suspended after Iraq… Read more

ISHM: MARCH 16 – 30, 2023

Key Takeaways: Iraq And Iran Sign Border Security Agreement; Sudani Asks Erdogan To Release More Water; Parliament Passes Controversial Election Law Amendments – On March 19, the head of Iran’s supreme national security council, Ali Shamkhani, visited Baghdad to sign a new border security agreement meant to combat the presence… Read more