Key Takeaways:

• Blinken’s Visit Met Brazen Kataib Hezbollah Threat; Sudani In Tehran For Talks With Khamenei – On November 5, Secretary of State Antony Blinken visited Baghdad for talks with PM Mohammed al-Sudani, which Blinken said were “good, productive, candid.” Blinken said his two goals were to ensure the security of U.S. personnel amid attacks by Iran-backed militias, and to reaffirm Washington’s partnership with Baghdad. To this end, Blinken said he delivered a “clear message to anyone who might seek to take advantage of the conflict in Gaza to threaten our personnel here or anywhere else in the region: Don’t do it.” Blinken also underscored that Washington was “working very hard to make sure that the conflict in Gaza…does not spread to other places – whether it’s here, whether it’s elsewhere in the region.” Meanwhile, a Kataib Hezbollah militia spokesman said that Blinken was “unwelcome” in Iraq and threatened “unprecedented escalation” in response to the diplomat’s visit. The militia spokesman went on to issue an explicit threat to shut down the U.S. embassy and “prevent American nationals from entering the country” by using “our own, non-peaceful, method.” On November 6, PM Sudani visited Tehran and met with President Ibrahim Raisi and Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei. Sudani said his talks focused on the war between Israel and Hamas and “the genocide” against Palestinians, accusing the international community of failing to take action to stop the “crimes…and forced displacement and starving of Palestinians.” Sudani also argued that countries that want to contain this conflict must pressure Israel to “stop the deliberate killing,” adding that the decision whether to plunge the region into all-out war “is in the hands of the side that’s engaged in aggression against the people of Gaza.” Sudani also spoke with Khamenei and Raisi about the urgent need to deliver humanitarian aid to Gaza and Iraq’s efforts in that regard. For his part, Khamenei said that Iraq “can play a major role in putting political pressure on the US and the occupying regime to stop the massacre of people in Gaza and also in starting a new approach in the Arab and Muslim world.” In other developments, on November 9, PM Sudani arrived in Erbil and met with KRG PM Masrour Barzani. Sudani’s talks in Erbil will likely address the recent militia attacks on U.S. forces in Erbil and ongoing budget disputes between Baghdad in Erbil. Earlier this week, KRG leaders urged Sudani “as commander in chief to prevent outlaw forces” from creating new problems for Iraq and the region, calling the new wave of militia attacks “a dangerous development for Iraq and the Kurdistan region.” more…
• Iraqi Militias Launch New Attacks On U.S. Forces In Erbil, Anbar, And Syria; Fighting Between Militias Kills Three In Basra – Between November 2 – 9, military bases hosting U.S. forces in Anbar and Erbil were attacked at least nine times with explosive drones and rockets fired by Iran-backed militias. One of the attacks forced Erbil’s International Airport to temporarily suspend operations. Iraqi militia groups also claimed responsibility for at least three other attacks on bases hosting U.S. military personnel across the border in Syria. There were no reports of fatalities as a result of these attack. In related developments, on November 8, U.S. aircraft struck a weapons depot in Syria’s Deir al-Zour province used by militias linked to Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps. U.S. officials said the strike was aimed at “disrupting and degrading the capabilities of groups directly responsible for attacking U.S. forces,” adding that the operation was designed to avoid further escalation. On November 9, at least two people were killed and three were injured, including policemen, when a gunfight erupted between members of the Asaib Ahl al-Haq militia and the rival Saraya al-Salam militia of Muqtada al-Sadr. Security forces were reportedly placed on high alert in anticipation of further escalation. In other developments, on November 6, two members of the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) were killed and two more were injured after they were struck by an armed drone in the Ranya district of Sulaymaniyah province. more…
• Iraq Finalizes Preparations To Buy Natural Gas From The Kurdistan Region And Turkmenistan – On November 5, Iraq’s Oil Ministry said it finished extending a pipeline to transport gas from the Khor Mor gas field in the Kurdistan region to the Kirkuk gas-fired power plant at Taza. The pipeline, 1,050 meter long and 16 inches in diameter, is a spur that connects the existing pipeline network to the power plant, and is intended to move 100 million cubic feet/day. The news comes almost four months after Baghdad approved plans by the Ministry of Oil to purchase natural gas from Khor Mor. The KRG Ministry of Natural Resources said it informed Khor Mor operator, Pearl Consortium, on November 2 that it was “not allowed to export gas” without the Ministry’s prior authorization, without providing further details about negotiations with Baghdad in this regard. On November 7, Iraq’s Electricity Minister arrived in Turkmenistan to finalize arrangements, based on a memorandum of understanding signed October 6, to import natural gas from the central Asian gas producer. A government statement said the talks focused on “the details and final arrangements for delivering gas,” adding that the gas would be supplied to Iraq through the Iranian pipeline network, which is connected to the Iraqi gas network, without adding further details. In other developments, on November 9, the exchange rate of the Iraqi dinar against the U.S. dollar on the parallel market reached a new high of around IQD 1,650 to 1$. On November 9, Iraq’s Civil Aviation Authority (ICAA) signed an agreement with the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) under which the ICAA would receive capacity building and other technical assistance. more…

For more background on most of the institutions, key actors, political parties, and locations mentioned in our takeaways or in the stories that follow, see the ISHM Reference Guide.

Blinken’s Visit Met Brazen Kataib Hezbollah Threat; Sudani In Tehran For Talks With Khamenei

On November 5, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken visited Baghdad for talks with Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed al-Sudani. After his meeting with Sudani, which Blinken described as “a good, productive, candid,” the Secretary of State said his two goals were to ensure the security of U.S. personnel and interests amid an escalation with Iran-backed militias, and to reaffirm Washington’s partnership with Baghdad. With regard to the first priority, Blinken said he delivered a “clear message to anyone who might seek to take advantage of the conflict in Gaza to threaten our personnel here or anywhere else in the region: Don’t do it.” Blinken added that Washington was prepared to do “what’s necessary to protect our personnel, be they military or civilian.” Blinken also underscored that Washington was “working very hard to make sure that the conflict in Gaza does not escalate, does not spread to other places – whether it’s here, whether it’s elsewhere in the region.” As news of Blinken’s unannounced visit spread, Muqtada al-Sadr instructed his followers to gather at Tahrir Square to “peacefully protest” the visit. The demonstration ended a few hours later without incidents. Meanwhile, a spokesman for the Kataib Hezbollah militia said that Blinken was “unwelcome” in Iraq and threatened “unprecedented escalation” in response to the U.S. top diplomat’s visit. The militia spokesman, known as Abu Ali al-Askari, said the military escalation by “the Islamic resistance in Iraq” would expand to disrupt U.S. interests in the region “in the coming weeks, if the aggression [against Gaza] continued.” Askari went on to issue an explicit threat to shut down the U.S. embassy and “prevent American nationals from entering the country” by using “our own, non-peaceful, method.” 

On November 6, Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed al-Sudani visited Tehran where he met with Iranian President Ibrahim Raisi and Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei. Speaking at a joint press conference with Raisi, Sudani said his talks in Tehran focused on the war between Israel and Hamas and “the genocide” against Palestinians in Gaza, accusing the international community of failing to take action to stop the “crimes…and forced displacement and starving of Palestintian.” Sudani also argued that countries that want to contain this conflict and prevent it from spreading must pressure Israel to “stop the deliberate killing,” adding that the decision whether to plunge the region into all-out war “is in the hands of the side that’s engaged in aggression against the people of Gaza.” The Iraqi Prime Minister also said that Iraq and Iran had “identical” views on the issue, and would continue their coordination “to achieve the main goal, which is a ceasefire.” Sudani also spoke with Khamenei and Raisi about the urgent need to deliver humanitarian aid to Gaza and Iraq’s efforts in that regard, a statement by his office said. For his part, Khamenei said in a message on X after meeting Sudani that Iraq “can play a major role in putting political pressure on the US and the occupying regime to stop the massacre of people in Gaza and also in starting a new approach in the Arab and Muslim world.” On the eve of Sudani’s visit to Tehran, Iran’s Foreign Minister, Hossein Amir-Abdollahian reportedly told his Iraqi counterpart in a phone call that escalation in the war between Israel and Hamas was “inevitable,” and blamed U.S. military support for Israel for the intensification of violence. 

On November 8, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau had a phone call with Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed al-Sudani in which they discussed bilateral relations, developments in the war in Gaza, and the unfolding humanitarian crisis there, a statement by Sudani’s office said. During the call, Sudani urged “great and influential powers to preserve international law from violations by [Israeli] occupation authorities,” the statement said. For his part, Trudeau told Sudani that Canada was keen on bringing about a humanitarian ceasefire and wants to work with Iraq to deescalate the situation and find a quick exit from the crisis, the statement added. 

On November 9, Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed al-Sudani arrived in Erbil and met with Masrour Barzani, the prime minister of the Kurdistan regional government (KRG), a brief statement by Sudani’s office said. Sudani’s talks in Erbil will likely address the recent militia attacks on U.S. forces in the Kurdistan region and ongoing budget disputes between Baghdad in Erbil. Earlier this week, KRG President Nechirvan Barzani urged Sudani “as commander in chief to prevent outlaw forces” from creating new problems for Iraq and the region, calling the new wave of militia attacks “a dangerous development for Iraq and the Kurdistan region.” With regard to the budget dispute, Masrour Barzani had sent a letter to Sudani this week calling for revising the federal budget law and demanding, in the interim, that Baghdad release the agreed upon monthly cash transfers in a timely manner to allow the KRG to pay its civil servants.

Sources cited in this section include: INA, State Department, Rudaw, al-Sumaria, social media, Iraqi PM’s office, ISHM archive. 

Iraqi Militias Launch New Attacks On U.S. Forces In Erbil, Anbar, And Syria; Fighting Between Militias Kills Three In Basra

On November 2, Iraqi security sources said that two armed drones targeted the Hareer base near Erbil, which hosts U.S. military personnel. At least one of the drones was shot down outside the base, the sources added. Two days later, on November 4, the same base was reportedly attacked with drones again, though it was unclear whether the attack caused damage or casualties. On the same day, a group known as the “Islamic Resistance in Iraq,” which is believed to be a front for Iran-backed militias, attacked al-Shaddadi base in Syria’s Hasakah province, which also hosts U.S. personnel, using an unspecified number of rockets. On the following day, November 5, security sources said that two explosive drones targeted the Ain al-Asad base in Anbar province, while a third drone was used to attack al-Tanf base in eastern Syria. Security sources said all three drones were shot down before they could hit their targets. On November 6, both Ain al-Asad and Hareer were attacked again, the first with four Katyusha-type rockets, and the second with a single explosive drone. In a further escalation, three explosive drones were used in two separate attacks on Erbil’s international airport, which includes a facility hosting U.S. military personnel, the Kurdistan region’s counter-terrorism agency said. Two of the drones were shot down while the third crashed without exploding. The attack temporarily forced the airport to suspend flight operations. The “Islamic Resistance in Iraq” claimed responsibility for the attacks on Hareer and Erbil airport, as well as another attack on November 7 on U.S. forces in Syria’s Conoco gas field base. Finally, on November 9, news reports said that Ain al-Asad base in Anbar was attacked again with an unspecified number of rockets. On the same day, security officials in the Kurdistan region said the Hareer base was attacked with two explosive drones in two separate incidents. The attacks, which were claimed by the “Islamic Resistance in Iraq” struck a fuel tank, setting it on fire, but did not result in casualties. In response to the ongoing attacks on its forces, the U.S. struck a weapons depot in Syria’s Deir al-Zour province used by militias linked to Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps. U.S. officials told reporters that the November 8 strike by F-15 aircraft was aimed at “disrupting and degrading the capabilities of groups directly responsible for attacking U.S. forces in the region,” adding that the operation was designed in a manner meant to avoid further escalation. The escalation in violence came after the commanders of several Iraqi militias, including Kataib Hezbollah, Asaib Ahil al-Haq, Badr, and al-Nujaba, had threatened to target U.S. interests if Washington decided to intervene in the ongoing fighting between Israel and Hamas militants. 

On November 4, security sources in Anbar province said that ISIS militants attacked pro-government tribal mobilization fighters in the desert around the Haditha district of the province. The attack killed one tribal mobilization fighter. 

On November 6, security sources in the Kurdistan region of Iraq said that two members of the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) were killed and two more were injured after they were struck by an armed drone in the village of Boskin, which is located in the Ranya district of Sulaymaniyah province. 

On November 6, the Iraqi Ministry for Migration and the Displaced said that a new group of 487 internally displaced persons (IDPs) from Iraq’s Yazidi community had returned voluntarily from the Sharya IDP camp in Duhok province to their districts of origin in Sinjar. On the following day, the Ministry said another group of 170 Yazidi IDPs also left the Sharya IDP camp and headed back to their districts of origin in Sinjar. This comes after 1,150 Yazidi IDPs returned to Sinjar last week, which was the first group of IDPs to return to Sinjar since September 1. 

On November 9, security sources in Basra said that at least two people were killed and three were injured, including policemen, when a gunfight erupted between members of the Asaib Ahl al-Haq militia and a rival militia of Muqtada al-Sadr. The sources added that security forces in Basra were placed on high alert in anticipation of further escalation between the rival militias. Other reports said the fighting erupted after a group from Asaib Ahl al-Haq assassinated one of Sadr’s followers, triggering a wider conflict.

Sources cited in this section include: Shafaq, Reuters, NINA, Rudaw, AP, ISHM archive, Ultra Iraq, Mawazin, al-Hurra, al-Sumaria. 

Iraq Finalizes Preparations To Buy Natural Gas From The Kurdistan Region And Turkmenistan

On November 5, Iraq’s Oil Ministry said that its Oil Pipelines Company had finished extending a pipeline to transport gas from the Khor Mor gas field in the Kurdistan region to the Kirkuk gas-fired power plant at Taza. The pipeline, which is 1,050 meter long and 16 inches in diameter, is a spur that connects the existing pipeline network (Jambur-North Gas Co.) to the power plant, the director of the Oil Pipeline Company said. It is intended to supply the power plant with 100 million cubic feet/day of natural gas to address fuel shortages and increase actual power generation, the official added. The news comes almost four months after the Iraqi government approved plans by the Ministry of Oil to purchase natural gas from Khor Mor to feed power plants amid supply shortages due to disruptions of gas imports from Iran. At the time, Electricity Minister Ziyad Ali Fadhil told reporters then that plans to purchase surplus natural gas from the Kurdistan region were part of Baghdad’s quest to find alternatives to unreliable imports from Iran, noting that the region has some 80 million cubic feet/day that could be available to supply some of Iraq’s power plants. Commenting on the pipeline’s completion, the Kurdistan region’s Ministry of Natural Resources said that it had informed Khor Mor operator (Pearl Consortium) on November 2 that it was “not allowed to export gas” from the region’s fields without the Ministry’s prior authorization, without providing further details about negotiations with Baghdad in this regard.    

On November 7, Iraq’s Ministry of Electricity said that an Iraqi delegation led by Minister Ziyad Ali Fadhil had arrived in Turkmenistan to finalize the arrangements for importing natural gas from the central Asian gas producer. In a statement, the Ministry said that Fadhil had a meeting with Maksat Babayev, Turkmenistan’s State Minister and Chairman of Turkmengas, that focused on “the details and final arrangements for delivering gas from Turkmenistan to Iraq.” The statement added that the gas would be supplied to Iraq through the Iranian pipeline network, which is connected to Iraq’s gas network, noting that the gas would feed power plants in central and southern Iraq, without adding further details. The latest meeting in Turkmenistan comes after Iraq and Turkmenistan signed a memorandum of understanding on October 6 for natural gas sales to meet Iraq’s fuel demand for power generation. A government statement said at the time that an Iraqi delegation would head to Turkmenistan on the 25th of October to sign the gas sales agreements.

On November 9, news reports indicated that the exchange rate of the Iraqi dinar against the U.S. dollar on the parallel market reached a new high as Iraq continues to deal with foreign currency shortages. As of writing, the exchange rate on the parallel market was hovering around IQD 1,650 to $1, up from 1,622 to $1 a week ago, and approximately 25% higher than the official rate of IQD 1,320 to $1 set by the Central Bank.

On November 9, Iraq’s Civil Aviation Authority (ICAA) signed an agreement with the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) under which the ICAA would receive capacity building and other technical assistance from ICAO. An Iraqi government statement noted that Baghdad had approved a plan in January for ICAA to contract experts from ICAO and the International Air Transport Association (IATA) to develop its capacity with regard to aeronautical services, airport licensing, aviation safety, aircraft worthiness, and personnel certification. 

Sources cited in this section include: INA, ISHM archive, Rudaw, Ultra Iraq, al-Sumaria, Iraqi PM’s office.  

Derived from firsthand accounts and Iraq-based Arabic and Kurdish news sources, the Iraq Security and Humanitarian Monitor is a free publication of the Enabling Peace in Iraq Center.

Subscribe to our weekly ISHM and have the latest developments in Iraq sent straight to your inbox every Thursday and follow EPIC on Twitter to receive updates throughout the week.