Key Takeaways:

• POLITICS: New Head Of UNAMI Arrives In Iraq; Iran’s Foreign Minister Signals Interest In De-Escalation During Baghdad Visit – On October 13, the new head of the UN Assistance Mission to Iraq (UNAMI), Mohammed al-Hassan arrived in Baghdad to assume his position following the departure of Jeanine Hennis-Plasschaert. On the same day Hassan met with PM Mohammed al-Sudani for talks that focused on the relationship between Iraq and the UN during the remainder of UNAMI’s time in Iraq, which expires on December 31, 2025. The new UNAMI chief then traveled to the Kurdistan region where he had several meetings with political leaders to discuss preparations for the region’s parliamentary elections, which are scheduled to take place on October 20. On October 13, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi visited Baghdad for talks with Iraqi PM Sudani that focused on efforts to end Israeli attacks on Gaza and Lebanon and prevent the conflict from spreading. Araqchi said the objective of his visit was to carry out consultations about the trajectory of events and enhance coordination between Iraq and Iran. At a joint press conference with Araqchi, Iraq’s Foreign Minister Fuad Hussein emphasized that Baghdad seeks to keep Iraq away from war, adding that war and peace decisions belong to the Iraqi state and the formal branches of government – a reference to the role of Iran-backed militias in attacks on Israel. Hussein also reiterated Baghdad’s objection to the use of its territory for attacks on neighboring countries, noting that Israel’s use of Iraqi airspace to attack Iran was unacceptable. Meanwhile, the Iranian minister told reporters that his country was ready for war, but at the same time wanted peace and was not in favor of further escalation with Israel. In other developments, on October 12, PM Sudani received a phone call from French President Emmanuel Macron to discuss the war in Gaza and Lebanon and the announced plans by the U.S and Iraq to end the presence of the Global Coalition to Defeat ISIS in Iraq. more…
• SECURITY & HUMANITARIAN: Militias Deploy “Advanced” Drones Against Israel; FAA Extends Flight Restrictions Over Iraq; More Lebanese Refugees Arrive In Iraq – Between October 10 – 17, the “Islamic Resistance in Iraq,” a front group for Iran-backed Iraqi militias, claimed that it conducted at least 10 new attacks against targets in various parts of Israel. This week’s attacks represent a significant decline in frequency compared to the 18 attacks reported during the previous week. Also of note, none of the latest attacks involved cruise missiles, but the militias claimed that two of their attacks employed drones with unspecified “advanced capabilities.” Meanwhile, on October 14, Iraqi militias reportedly attacked a base hosting U.S. military forces in eastern Syria with an explosive drone that was shot down before reaching the base. On October 15, the U.S. Federal Aviation Authority (FAA) extended restrictions on commercial flights by U.S. carriers over Iraqi airspace for another three years. The extension comes amid continued risk to civilian aviation arising from military activities by Iran-backed militias and other third parties, the FAA said. The FAA restrictions prohibit U.S. carriers from flying over the country at altitudes below 32,000 feet. Meanwhile, Lufthansa and Qatar Airways continued to suspend or restrict their operations over Iraq in anticipation of further regional hostilities. On October 16, the UNHCR reported that the number of Lebanese nationals who have arrived in Iraq after being displaced by fighting between Israel and Hezbollah has grown to at least 11,700. The figure represents an increase of at least 4,200 new arrivals since last week. The displaced Lebanese are arriving through al-Qaim border crossing with Syria as well as the Baghdad and Najaf airports. The majority of the Lebanese arrivals (62%) are women and children, according to the UNHCR update. more…
• ECONOMY & CLIMATE: Kurdistan Cuts Oil Production By Nearly Half; Smog And Pollution Haunt Baghdad Residents – On October 11, the acting KRG Minister of Natural Resources said the Kurdistan region had reduced its oil production to 140,000 barrels per day (bpd) since September 2 on a request from the federal government in order to comply with OPEC+ supply cut agreements. The region had been reportedly producing an average of 250,000 bpd earlier in the summer before Baghdad asked the KRG to cut production to just 46,000 bpd. The combined production cuts at fields in the Kurdistan region and in southern Iraq have enabled Iraq to bring its total output below the ceiling allowed in the OPEC+ agreements. On October 13, Iraq’s Environment Ministry attributed recent smog and sulfury smells that have alarmed Baghdad residents for days to the burning of “heavy fuel” used in industrial facilities. The sources of the sulfury fumes include the Dora refinery, power plants around the capital, some 250 asphalt and brick factories, as well as smelters and trash burning in landfills on the capital’s edges, the ministry argued. PM Sudani instructed the ministries of Environment, Oil, Electricity, and the Baghdad municipality to investigate the sources of the pollution and offer solutions to the problem. Subsequent reports indicated that security authorities have shut down and demolished dozens of illegal smelters in districts east of Baghdad. In other developments, on October 16, the KRG inaugurated the new Gomsapan Dam in Erbil province. The dam, 70 meters tall and 513 meters long, is designed to store up to 97 million cubic meters of rainwater in a reservoir covering 6.1 million square meters. On October 16, Iraq’s Communications and Media Commission and Korek Telecom reached a settlement that will see the company pay the government $1.25 billion over six years in return for lifting prior restrictions imposed on the mobile operator due to license violations. more…

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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.

POLITICS: New Head Of UNAMI Arrives In Iraq; Iran’s Foreign Minister Signals Interest In De-Escalation During Baghdad Visit

On October 12, Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed al-Sudani received a phone call from French President Emmanuel Macron, a statement by Sudani’s office said. During the call, Macron and Sudani discussed the war in Gaza and Lebanon, Macron’s recent call to halt arms deliveries to Israel, and the need to bring about a ceasefire and deliver humanitarian aid to civilians. The two sides also discussed the announced plans by the U.S and Iraq to end the presence of the Global Coalition to Defeat ISIS in Iraq and the transition to bilateral relations, especially in the economic sector, the statement added.

On October 13, the new head of the UN Assistance Mission to Iraq (UNAMI), Mohammed al-Hassan arrived in Baghdad to assume his position following the departure of Jeanine Hennis-Plasschaert. On the same day Hassan met with Prime Minister Mohammed al-Sudani for talks that focused on the relationship between Iraq and the UN during the remainder of UNAMI’s time in Iraq and the country’s position regarding the war in Gaza and Lebanon, a statement by Sudani’s office said. On May 31, the UN Security Council voted to extend the UNAMI mandate for a “final 19 month-period” that will end on December 31, 2025. The new UNAMI chief then traveled to the Kurdistan region where he had several meetings with political leaders there to discuss preparations for the region’s parliamentary elections, which are scheduled to take place on October 20. 

On October 13, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi visited Baghdad for talks with Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed al-Sudani that focused on efforts to end Israeli attacks on Gaza and Lebanon, prevent the conflict from spreading, and deliver humanitarian aid to civilians, a statement by Sudani’s office said. For his part, Araqchi said the objective of his visit was to carry out consultations about the trajectory of events and coordinate the efforts by Iraq and Iran, adding that Tehran agrees with Baghdad’s efforts to prevent the war from spreading. At a joint press conference with Araqchi, Iraqi Foreign Minister Fuad Hussein emphasized that his government seeks to keep Iraq away from war, adding that war and peace decisions belong to the Iraqi state and the formal branches of government. Hussein also reiterated Baghdad’s objection to the use of its territory for attacks on neighboring countries, noting that Israel’s use of Iraqi airspace to attack Iran was unacceptable. Meanwhile, the Iranian minister told reporters that his country was ready for war, but at the same time wanted peace and was not in favor of further escalation with Israel. 

Sources cited in this section include: INA, BBC, ISHM archive, UNAMI, INA, Iraqi PM’s office, al-Hurra, al-Sumaria.

SECURITY & HUMANITARIAN: Militias Deploy “Advanced” Drones Against Israel; FAA Extends Flight Restrictions Over Iraq; More Lebanese Refugees Arrive In Iraq

On October 10, the “Islamic Resistance in Iraq,” a front group for Iran-backed Iraqi militias, claimed that it conducted a new attack against an unspecified Israeli target in the occupied Golan Heights using explosive drones. On the following day, the group claimed that it attacked another unspecified target in the city of Eilat, also with explosive drones. The attacks continued on October 12, when the militias said they launched explosive drones against two more targets in the Golan Heights that day. The same pattern was repeated on October 13 with more drones launched against two other Israeli targets in the Golan Heights. On Monday, October 14, the militias said they launched drones with “advanced capabilities” in two separate attacks against Israeli targets in the Jordan River Valley, without offering more details. Finally, the militias claimed two more attacks with explosive drones on October 16 and 17 against targets in central Israel and Eilat, respectively. One of the attacks was said to involve drones with “advanced capabilities,” according to a statement by the militias that did not include further details about said capabilities.

On October 14, security sources said that Iraqi “resistance” factions attacked a base hosting U.S. military forces in the suburbs of Deir ez-Zur province in eastern Syria with an explosive drone. The base’s defense systems intercepted the drone before it could reach its target. The base, known as the Conoco gas field base, has been a common target of rocket and drone attacks by Iran-backed Iraqi militias since October 2023.

On October 15, Iraq’s Joint Operations Command (JOC) said that F-16 jets struck a hideout used by ISIS militants in the Laylan area of Kirkuk province. Ground troops that went in to inspect the aftermath of the airstrike found the bodies of four dead ISIS militants, including that of a senior ISIS commander in the province. Iraqi troops also recovered or destroyed various explosives, weapons, and communications equipment from the site.

On October 15, security sources in Diyala province said that a small improvised explosive device (IED) detonated next to a house in the Kanaan subdistrict, east of Baquba. The explosion caused minor damage to the building but there were no reports of casualties. 

On October 15, the Federal Aviation Authority (FAA) of the United States extended restrictions on commercial flights by U.S. carriers over Iraqi airspace for another three years. The extension comes amid continued risk to civilian aviation arising from military activities by Iran-backed militias and other third parties, the FAA said. The FAA restrictions concerning Iraq prohibit U.S. carriers from flying over the country at altitudes below 32,000 feet for safety reasons. In related news, Lufthansa and Qatar Airways continued to suspend or restrict their operations over Iraq in anticipation of further regional hostilities. 

On October 16, the UNHCR reported that the number of Lebanese nationals who have arrived in Iraq after being displaced by fighting between Israel and Hezbollah has grown to at least 11,700. The figure represents an increase of at least 4,200 new arrivals since last week. The displaced Lebanese are arriving through al-Qaim border crossing with Syria as well as the Baghdad and Najaf airports. The majority of the Lebanese arrivals (62%) are women and children, according to the UNHCR update. Many are being hosted in residential buildings designated by local authorities, while some are also reportedly staying with friends and family. The cities of Karbala and Najaf are hosting nearly half of the new arrivals. 

Sources cited in this section include: Mawazin, Rudaw, Shafaq, Iraq Observer, Baghdad Today, NINA, INA, al-Hurra, Reuters, UNHCR. 

ECONOMY & CLIMATE: Kurdistan Cuts Oil Production By Nearly Half; Smog And Pollution Haunt Baghdad Residents

On October 11, the acting KRG Minister of Natural Resources said the Kurdistan region had reduced its oil production to 140,000 barrels per day (bpd) since September 2 based on a request from the federal government in order to comply with OPEC+ supply cut agreements. The region had been reportedly producing an average of 250,000 bpd earlier in the summer before the Baghdad government asked the KRG to cut production to just 46,000 bpd. The request for drastic cuts was meant to help Baghdad achieve its reduced output target of 3.3 million bpd. Although the KRG output cuts have been less steep than initially requested by Baghdad, the combined production cuts at fields in the Kurdistan region and those in southern Iraq added to 260,000 bpd, according to a senior Iraqi oil official. These cuts have enabled Iraq to bring its total output to below the ceiling allowed in the OPEC+ agreements. 

On October 13, the Iraqi Ministry of Environment attributed the recent smog and sulfury smells that have alarmed Baghdad residents for days to the burning of “heavy fuel” used in industrial facilities. The sources of the sulfury fumes include the Dora refinery, power plants around the capital, more than 250 asphalt and brick factories, as well as smelters and trash burning in landfills on the capital’s edges, the ministry argued. During a joint press conference with the parliamentary Health and Environment Committee, the ministry explained that Iraqi oil has a high sulfur content, and burning it releases “toxic gasses.” A spokesman for the ministry blamed recent weather patterns, including high humidity and changing wind directions for concentrating the smoke and smells in the air above Baghdad. Meanwhile, Prime Minister Sudani instructed the ministries of the Environment, Oil, Electricity, and the Baghdad municipality to investigate the sources of the pollution and offer solutions to the problem. Subsequent reports indicated that security authorities have launched a campaign to shut down and demolish dozens of illegal smelters in districts east of Baghdad.    

On October 13, Iraq’s Finance Ministry said it will release a third issue of its “Injaz” government bonds with a total value of IQD 1.3 trillion (approximately $1 billion in the official exchange rate). The bonds will come in two denominations, IQD 500,000 with an annual interest rate of 6.5% and two-year maturity, and IQD 1,000,000 with an annual interest rate of 8.5% and four-year maturity, a ministry statement explained. The bonds will be available for the public to purchase between October 14 and November 13, 2024.

On October 14, Iraq’s Electricity Ministry said the Iraqi government has designated 546 government buildings as future sites for installing roof-mounted solar power systems. The government has agreed to allocate up to IQD 90 billion (approximately $69 million) to finance the installation projects. 

On October 16, the Kurdistan regional government (KRG) inaugurated the new Gomsapan Dam in Erbil province. The dam, located approximately 15 miles northeast  of Erbil City, is 70 meters tall and 513 meters long, according to the KRG. The dam is designed to harvest and store up to 97 million cubic meters of rainwater in a reservoir covering 6.1 million square meters. It is considered to be the third largest dam in the region after the Dokan and Darbandikhan dams. 

On October 16, the KRG Finance Ministry said the KRG has deposited a sum of more than IQD 77.8 billion (approximately $60 million) in the Central Bank account of the federal Finance Ministry as remittance for non-petroleum revenue generated in June 2024. This is the fifth report since May of the KRG handing over a share of revenue generated in the Kurdistan region to the federal government, a long-contested provision in Iraqi budget laws. The KRG, however, has yet to hand over any of its oil revenue this year, in violation of Iraq’s Federal Supreme Court order to the KRG in February to hand over all oil and non-oil revenue to the federal government. 

On October 16, Iraq’s Communications and Media Commission (CMC) and Korek Telecom reached a settlement that will see the company pay the government $1.25 billion over six years in return for lifting prior restrictions on the mobile operator, according to the chair of the parliamentary transportation and communications committee. Last year, the CMC ordered the country’s other mobile telecommunication companies to sever their interconnections with Korek after the company allegedly refused to pay $800 million in damages that was awarded by an Iraqi court. The CMC had sued Korek for damages after the company continued to operate even after its license had reportedly expired in August of 2022. 

Sources cited in this section include: Rudaw, ISHM archive, al-Hurra, Shafaq, Mawazin, KRG, Kurdistan24, INA, Iraq Observer.

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.

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