Category: Monitoring the Crisis

Key Takeaways: POLITICS: Zaidi Reshapes Iraq’s Security Command Structure; Baghdad to Expand Energy, Transport, and Trade Ties with Lebanon and Turkey – On July 26, government sources said that Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi re-established the Office of the Commander in Chief of the Armed Forces as part of a broader effort to reorganize the management […]

Key Takeaways: POLITICS: Zaidi Signs New Cooperation Agreements in Tehran Days After Landmark U.S. Visit – On July 23, Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi arrived in Tehran on his first official visit to Iran, where he was received at the airport by President Masoud Pezeshkian. Zaidi and Pezeshkian chaired expanded talks involving the Iraqi delegation—which included […]

Key Takeaways: POLITICS: Zaidi Gets Warm Welcome from Trump During White House Visit Rebuked by Militias – On July 13, Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi arrived in Washington accompanied by the ministers of Oil, Finance, Electricity, Trade, and Foreign Affairs, along with nearly two dozen lawmakers and senior government officials. The following day, Zaidi met with […]

Key Takeaways: POLITICS: PUK-New Generation Alliance Formalized; PM’s Allies Criticize Militarization of Anti-Corruption Sweep; Millions Attend Khamenei Funeral Events in Iraq – On July 2, the leaders of the New Generation (NG) party and the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK) signed an agreement formalizing their political alliance, which aims to break the deadlock with the […]

Key Takeaways: POLITICS: Dozens of Government Officials, Lawmakers Arrested in Anti-Corruption Sweep – On June 28, government forces conducted raids in Baghdad and elsewhere that led to the arrest of dozens of current and former government officials on corruption charges. Some of those arrested were implicated in confessions made by former Deputy Oil Minister Adnan […]

Key Takeaways: POLITICS: Zaidi Replaces Central Bank Chief; PUK and New Generation Want to Take the KRG Premiership from Rival KDP – On June 21, Iraqi Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi appointed Nizar Nasir Hussein as the new governor of the Central Bank of Iraq (CBI). Hussein, who previously served as director of the CBI’s Counter-Terror […]

Key Takeaways: POLITICS: Trump’s Envoy Underscores Urgency of Militia Disarmament; Asaib Ahl al-Haq Seeks to Reintroduce PMF Retirement Bill – On June 15, Tom Barrack, the U.S. special envoy for Iraq, met in Baghdad with Iraqi Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi. Barrack confirmed President Trump’s invitation for Zaidi to visit the White House in mid-July for […]

Key Takeaways: POLITICS: Zaidi to Advance Business Ties in Upcoming Washington Visit; Deputy Speaker Feyhan Calls for Halting Funds to KRG – On June 6, Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi announced plans for an official visit to the United States accompanied by a delegation of Iraqi business leaders aimed at expanding investment and economic ties. Speaking […]

Key Takeaways: POLITICS: Three Militias Announce Disarmament Plans Amid Opposition by Hardliner Factions – On June 2, the Asaib Ahl al-Haq (AAH) and Kataib al-Imam Ali (KIA) militias announced plans to detach themselves from the Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF) and place their weapons under state control. AAH said it would form a committee to inventory […]

Key Takeaways: POLITICS: Sadr Offers to Place His Militia Under Government Control Within a Week – On May 27, Shia cleric Muqtada al-Sadr announced the “complete separation” of his Saraya al-Salam militia from his political organization and its “full attachment” to the state and the commander-in-chief. Sadr’s announcement, which is not the first of its […]