Key Takeaways:
- POLITICS: Dawa Nominates Maliki; Sunni Parties Form New Council; U.S. Opens Erbil Consulate; Iraq Retracts Hezbollah Designation – On November 21, the Islamic Dawa Party nominated its secretary general, former prime minister Nouri al-Maliki, for the premiership. Maliki’s State of Law coalition won 29 seats and is a key faction within the Coordination Framework. On November 23, five major Sunni Arab parties announced a new coordination body, the National Political Council. Modeled on the Shia Coordination Framework, it includes the top-performing Sunni parties: Halbousi’s Taqaddum, Khanjar’s Siyada, al-Samarrie’s Azm, al-Abbasi’s Hasim, and al-Jubouri’s Jamaheer. They emphasized unifying efforts to safeguard political stability, constitutional rights, and representation in state institutions. On December 3, the U.S. inaugurated its new consulate compound in Erbil—the largest U.S. consulate in the world—expected to host up to 1,000 personnel. Deputy Secretary of State Michael Rigas said the nearly $800 million investment reflects Washington’s commitment to a secure, prosperous Iraq. Foreign Minister Fuad Hussein urged reopening the long-closed U.S. consulate in Basra. On December 4, Iraq’s counter-terrorism financing committee retracted a gazette notice that had mistakenly listed Lebanese Hezbollah and Yemen’s Ansar Allah as terrorist groups—an “editing error” that had triggered strong backlash from Iran-aligned militias. In other political developments, Prime Minister Sudani dismissed Nawal Abu Raghief, head of the Communications and Media Commission, after leaked videos showed him in “compromising” situations. On November 30, U.S. Special Envoy for Syria Tom Barrack met Sudani in Baghdad to discuss Iraq’s role in supporting Syria’s stability and economic recovery. more…
- SECURITY & HUMANITARIAN: Drone Strike Hits Kurdistan’s Key Gas Field; KDP Office Burned in Deadly Protests Near Erbil – On November 26, explosive drones hit the Khor-Mor gas field in Sulaymaniyah, shutting down gas flows to power plants and cutting regional electricity output by 80%. Operations resumed on December 3 under heightened security. A joint investigation said two drones launched from east of Tuzkhormatu carried out the attack. Authorities have identified the attackers, who were described as “outlaws,” with prior arrest warrants. The suspects’ names and affiliations were not revealed, though. Recommendations approved by PM Sudani include providing air-defense systems for Khor-Mor, tightening drone restrictions, redeploying security forces to address gaps, and replacing local commanders. On November 29, clashes between protesters and security forces near the Lanaz refinery outside Erbil killed two civilians and wounded ten. Protesters reportedly demanded jobs previously promised at the facility before guards opened fire. The deaths prompted retaliation by members of the Harki tribe, who torched a KDP office. Residents of nearby Lajan village evacuated fearing reprisals; Harki leaders say talks with the Interior Ministry aim to contain the crisis. In other security news, a Dhi-Qar court sentenced a man to eight years for a post advocating normalization with Israel—the first known application of Iraq’s 2022 anti-Israel law. Between November 26 and December 3, two IEDs and one war remnant killed two Iraqis and wounded two. Authorities issued an arrest warrant for al-Bayt al-Watani leader Hussein al-Ghorabi for alleged crimes tied to the 2019 protests. On December 1, Iraq began repatriating 858 nationals (240 families) from al-Hol camp. Two days later, UNHCR said funding shortages forced it to end monthly cash assistance for 30,000 refugees in Iraq. more…
- ECONOMY & CLIMATE: Oil Exports Rise; Baghdad Chokes on Toxic Air; Exxon Eyes WQ-2 Stake- On November 25, SOMO reported that crude exports averaged 3.578 million bpd in October—up 173,000 bpd from September—boosted by resumed Kurdistan region exports beginning September 27. On November 27, authorities sealed the entrances to al-Rasheed Camp, an informal landfill, after illegal trash-burning caused heavy smog across Baghdad. Residents reported health concerns as air-quality readings reached hazardous levels. The environment minister also accused the Oil, Electricity, and Industry ministries, plus Baghdad Municipality, of major environmental violations worsening the crisis. On December 1, the Oil Ministry said it invited U.S. energy firms to take over management of West Qurna-2 from Lukoil, which was hit by new U.S. sanctions and declared force majeure at the 480,000-bpd field. ExxonMobil has reportedly expressed interest. In other updates, on November 21 the Popular Mobilization Commission said it received approvals to assume ownership of several state-owned land plots in Baghdad. On December 4, Iraq inaugurated the first completed segment of the Development Road—a 63 km stretch linking Grand Faw Port with Highway 1 in Basra. 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.
POLITICS: Dawa Nominates Maliki; Sunni Parties Form New Council; U.S. Opens Erbil Consulate; Iraq Retracts Hezbollah Designation
On November 21, Iraq’s Independent High Electoral Commission (IHEC) said that it received a total of 872 appeals and complaints from various candidates and parties who are contesting the results of the November election. These appeals were subsequently forwarded to the electoral judicial committee, which has dismissed “more than 800” of them as of reporting. The review process is expected to be completed by Sunday, according to an IHEC spokesperson.
On November 21, the Islamic Dawa Party said it nominated its secretary general, Nouri al-Maliki to be the next prime minister of Iraq. Maliki is a two-term former prime minister (2006 – 2014) and leader of the State of Law coalition, which won 29 seats in the November elections and is a major faction within the Coordination Framework.
On November 23, five major Sunni Arab political parties announced the formation of a new political coordination body called the National Political Council. The new body, which appears to mimic the Shia Coordination Framework, includes the parties that won the most seats among Sunni-led parties in the November elections: Mohammed al-Halbousi’s Taqaddum, Khamis al-Khanjar’s Siyada, Muthanna al-Samarrie’s Azm, Thabit al-Abbasi’s Hasim, and Ahmed al-Jubouri’s Jamaheer. In a statement issued after the inaugural meeting, the leaders of the National Political Council “emphasized the importance of unifying efforts and working with a shared vision to preserve political and social stability, ensure constitutional rights, and strengthen representation in state institutions.”
On November 25, Iraq’s Independent High Electoral Commission (IHEC) disqualified a newly re-elected lawmaker from the Badr Organization on the basis that he failed to meet the “good character and behavior” requisites. The lawmaker in question, Muhannad al-Khazraji, is an incumbent representing Badr in Baghdad who was reelected in the November 11 vote. Reports indicate that Khazraji defrauded nearly 1,500 young men by offering them jobs in a fictional unit of the Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF) in exchange for delivering 10 voter cards each. Some of the men later filed complaints against Khazraji after they realized that the unit they were to join did not exist.
On November 29, al-Aalem al-Jadeed reported that Prime Minister Mohammed al-Sudani terminated the services of Nawfal Abu Raghief, the chairman of the Communications and Media Commission (CMC). The sacking comes after leaked video clips showed Abu Raghief, a member of Ammar al-Hakim’s Hikma Movement, in “compromising” situations, the report added. In response, Ammar al-Hakim nominated another one of his aides, Baligh Abu Gala, to succeed the outgoing Raghief.
On November 30, the U.S. President’s Special Envoy to Syria, Tom Barrack, met with Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed al-Sudani in Baghdad to discuss Iraq’s role in supporting Syria’s stability, security, and economic recovery, a statement by Sudani’s office said. During the talks, Sudani and Barrak exchanged views on preventing further escalation in the region and supporting diplomatic efforts to resolve disputes, the statement added. Barrack also emphasized the constructive role Iraq can play in achieving these shared goals, the statement concluded.
On December 3, the United States inaugurated its new consulate compound in Erbil in a ceremony attended by Kurdish leader Masoud Barazani, KRG President Nechirvan Barzani, KRG Prime Minister Masrour Barzani, his deputy Qubad Talabani, and Michael Rigas, the Deputy Secretary of State for Management and Resources. The new consulate, on which construction began in 2018, is considered the largest U.S. consulate in the world and is expected to host up to 1,000 personnel. Speaking at the ceremony, Rigas remarked that “America’s investment in this new consulate provides a secure platform to advance the interests of the United States.” He added that investing in the nearly $800 million compound “demonstrates the value that a sovereign, secure and prosperous Iraq, in mutually beneficial partnership with the United States can deliver for its own people and for America.” During a meeting with Rigas, Iraqi Foreign Minister Fuad Hussein called on Washington to reopen its consulate in Basra, which has been shuttered since 2018 due to security concerns. During the talks with Hussein, Rigas reiterated Washington’s call “to dismantle Iran-backed militias that undermine Iraq’s sovereignty, threaten Americans and Iraqis, and loot Iraq’s resources for Iran’s benefit,” the U.S. embassy said in a post on social media.
On December 4, a government committee tasked with countering the financing of terrorism retracted a bulletin published in the official gazette that listed Lebanese Hezbollah and Ansar Allah (the Houthis) among designated terrorist groups in Iraq. In a statement, the committee said the inclusion of these two groups in the bulletin, which triggered angry reactions and accusations of treason from Iran-backed Iraqi militias, was the result of an editing error. Meanwhile, Prime Minister Sudani ordered an investigation into this “error,” which a government statement said does not reflect Iraq’s real position.
Sources cited in this section include: INA, ISHM archive, Iraq Observer, Baghdad Today, al-Aalem al-Jadeed, Kurdistan24, Rudaw, NPR, U.S. embassy, Shafaq, al-Sumaria.
SECURITY & HUMANITARIAN: Drone Strike Hits Kurdistan’s Key Gas Field; KDP Office Burned in Deadly Protests Near Erbil
On November 22, a criminal court in Dhi-Qar province issued a sentence of eight years in prison against an Iraqi citizen after convicting him of publishing a post on social media calling on the Iraqi government to normalize relations with Israel. Judicial sources stated that the court found the post to be a clear violation of Iraqi law, which criminalizes all forms of dealings or promotion of normalization with Israel. This ruling is the first reported case of courts applying the anti-Israel legislation that Iraq’s parliament passed in 2022. The law made it illegal to travel to Israel or engage in any “diplomatic, political, military, economic, cultural, or any other relations” with the state of Israel. The law also made it a crime to “promote any Zionist or Masonic ideas, principles, or behaviors by any means.”
On November 24, Iraqi security sources in Kirkuk province said that army troops backed by aviation assets conducted a large-scale operation in the Wadi al-Shay region of the province. The operation, which included airstrikes by army aviation, killed at least four suspected ISIS militants and destroyed several hideouts that had been used to store supplies.
On November 25, the Central Criminal Court in Iraq sentenced the former director of Baghdad’s Agriculture Directorate to death over his role in instigating deadly clashes between security forces and Kataib Hezbollah gunmen, the Supreme Judicial Council said.
On November 26, security sources in Baghdad said that unidentified gunmen opened fire from a moving motorcycle on a vehicle transporting an Interior Ministry officer in al-Baladiyat neighborhood of east Baghdad. The officer, who has the rank of colonel, was wounded in the attack, the sources added.
On November 26, an attack with explosive drones targeted the Khor-Mor gas field in the Chemchemal district of Sulaymaniyah, which supplies most major power plants in the Kurdistan region. The attack halted the flow of natural gas from the field, forcing power plants to shut down and reducing power generation across the region by 80%, according to a spokesman of the Kurdistan region’s Electricity Ministry. The drones struck fuel tankers and associated pumps, setting off a large fire that raged overnight. Prime Minister Sudani convened an emergency meeting of top security officials and instructed them to conduct a joint investigation with their counterparts in the Kurdistan regional government (KRG) to find the culprits behind “this cowardly act,” a government statement said, adding that the Global Coalition against ISIS will provide support for the investigation. Kurdish leader and head of the Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) Masoud Barzani strongly condemned the “terrorist” attack, stressing it was “time to take serious steps…to put an end to these attacks and punish the perpetrators.” Meanwhile, Bafel Talabani, the head of the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK), pledged to “take all necessary measures to protect the lives of our people,” warning that his party’s response will be “decisive and violent,” without offering details. Talabani, whose party controls Sulaymaniyah, stressed that “militias that operate outside the rule of law must either disband or be destroyed,” suggesting a link between the attack and Iran-backed Iraqi militias, which have targeted Khor-Mor and other oil and gas fields in the past. The attack was also condemned by leaders of the Coordination Framework, who called it “a threat to Iraq’s security, economy, and stability” and voiced support for the government investigation. The Islamic Resistance in Iraq, an umbrella group representing key militias, denied involvement in the attack, arguing that “the agenda of the resistance does not include attacking civilian sites, and its weapons are always aimed at the [U.S.] occupation.” Production at the strategic field returned to normal on December 3 amid enhanced security measures provided by the Iraqi and regional governments, according to Dana Gas, part of the consortium that operates Khor-Mor. On Wednesday, the investigation committee presented its findings. The committee said that the attack involved two drones launched from an area east of Tuzkhormatu. One struck the field while the other fell outside it. The wreckage of both drones was secured by forensic teams to extract data from their memory devices. The public findings said authorities have identified the attackers, who were described as “outlaws,” with prior arrest warrants. The suspects’ names and affiliations were not revealed. The investigation committee also offered recommendations that were approved by Prime Minister Sudani. These include providing air defense systems for Khor-Mor, tightening restrictions on the use of drones, redeploying security forces to address gaps in the area around the field, and replacing commanders in charge of the area.
On November 26, a Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF) fighter was killed in an incident involving an improvised explosive device (IED) in a desert region of Anbar province, the PMF said in a statement. The victim was identified as a member of the PMF 57th brigade who was on patrol when the explosion took place.
On November 27, security sources in Dhi-Qar province said that fighting erupted between two tribes over a land dispute in the Sayyid Dakhiel district of the province. The fighting, which involved the use of small and medium automatic weapons, lasted for hours, and left one person dead and at least two injured.
On November 29, an Iraqi army soldier was killed and another soldier was wounded in a shooting at a security checkpoint in al-Kahla district of Maysan province, Iraq’s Defense Ministry said. The incident occurred when the soldiers ordered a truck to stop for inspection but its four occupants disregarded the order and then proceeded to open fire on the checkpoint, causing the casualties. Security forces later apprehended the suspects and began an investigation.
On November 29, security sources in Nasiriyah said that authorities issued a warrant for the arrest of the leader of al-Bayt al-Watani party, Hussein al-Ghorabi, on charges of destroying government property and undermining the political system. Ghorabi, a prominent activist during the Tishreen protests who competed in the November election as a member of al-Badeel, condemned the charges as an attempt “to silence activists.”
On November 29, at least two civilians were killed and ten others were wounded in clashes between protesters and security forces outside the Lanaz oil refinery on the road between Erbil and the town of Gwer. The protesters were reportedly demanding more job opportunities at the facility when guards started shooting, resulting in the death of a protester and a tanker truck driver. The deaths sparked anger among locals, who belong to the restive Harki tribe, who have a history of clashing with authorities. Members of the tribe responded by attacking an office of the Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP), setting it on fire. Meanwhile, residents of the village of Lajan, the epicenter of the clashes, evacuated their homes to avoid retribution by authorities. News reports citing locals say KDP officials had promised the locals the jobs at the refinery before the elections but failed to keep those promises. The KRG Interior Ministry, however, dismissed the protesters as “rioters” following “domestic and external instigations,” and linked the incident to “attempts of sabotage,” including the November 26 attack at Khor-Mor. The ministry also accused the protesters of “opening fire” on passengers and blocking the movement of fuel trucks using the Erbil-Gwer road. The claim that members of the Harki tribe did some of the shooting was confirmed by Khorshid al-Harki, a leading member of the tribe. Speaking at a press conference on December 1, Harki said the conflict, which he attributed to actions by a few individuals that don’t represent the tribe, was being contained through talks between Harki leaders and the Interior Ministry.
On December 1, Iraqi authorities began the process of repatriating 858 Iraqi nationals comprising 240 households from al-Hol camp in northeastern Syria, officials with the local administration in northeast Syria said. Overall, this is the 30th group of al-Hol residents to return to Iraq as part of a program to repatriate all Iraqi nationals from the camp, and the 13th this year. This is the first group to return to Iraq from al-Hol since a group of similar size was returned on August 28. In early October, Iraqi authorities said they halted the return of hundreds of Iraqi nationals from al-Hol due to overcrowding at al-Jedaa camp in Ninewa, where new returnees undergo vetting and rehabilitation before they can return to their home districts.
On December 1, security sources in Anbar province said that an IED explosion struck a vehicle of tribal mobilization fighters in the Jazeerat Rawa desert in western Anbar. The explosion wounded two of the pro-government fighters and damaged their vehicle.
On December 2, Iraq’s Supreme Judicial Council (SJC) said that a total of 38,787 people have been released from the country’s prisons and other detention facilities as a result of the Amnesty Law amendments that parliament passed in January. The statement indicates that more than 1,500 people have been released from custody since the last update on the process provided in November. According to a prior SJC statement, a total of 119,315 convicts and suspects will ultimately be released under the amended amnesty program.
On December 3, security sources in Dhi-Qar province said that a young man was killed when an unexploded remnant of war detonated in a remote area of the Souq al-Shuyukh district, southeast of Nasiriyah.
On December 4, UNHCR said that lack of funding has forced the organization to stop providing monthly cash assistance to 30,000 refugees in Iraq. Many of those refugees are in vulnerable groups who can’t independently support themselves financially, including people with disabilities, single mothers, and the elderly. The organization used to provide each household with $250 in cash each month. That amount was reduced earlier this year to $150, before the decision was made to halt the payments altogether. The organization added that it has been working with Iraqi authorities to identify alternative sources of support for these vulnerable groups.
Sources cited in this section include: Mawazin, ISHM archive, Shafaq, al-Sumaria, Rudaw, INA, Kurdistan24, Baghdad Today, Iraq Observer, PUKMedia, Reuters, Reliefweb.
ECONOMY & CLIMATE: Oil Exports Rise; Baghdad Chokes on Toxic Air; Exxon Eyes WQ-2 Stake
On November 21, the Popular Mobilization Commission said it had obtained formal government approvals to take ownership of several state-owned land plots in Baghdad. The properties include a 20 dunam (50,000 square meters) plot formerly owned by the Baghdad Municipality in the upscale Jadriya neighborhood, along with other plots transferred from the Ministry of Construction and Housing. The transfer of ownership sparked altercations with the occupants of these properties, which the Commission dismissed as squatters. It remains unclear for what purpose the Popular Mobilization Committee intends to use the properties in question.
On November 25, Iraq’s Oil Marketing Company (SOMO) published data showing that crude oil exports during October totaled more than 110.923 million barrels, for an average of 3.578 million barrels per day (bpd). The October exports are about 173,000 bpd above the levels SOMO reported for September. SOMO data said the exports generated $7.03 billion in revenue, about $68 million higher than September’s revenue of $6.962 billion. The bulk of the exports came from fields in southern and central Iraq and were exported through the ports of Basra. Meanwhile, an average of 188,000 bpd was also exported from fields in the Kurdistan region via Turkey, and another 8,700 bpd were exported by trucks to Jordan.
On November 25, the head of the Iraq Development Fund, Mohammed Al-Najjar, said Iraq has initiated the process of creating a joint investment fund with the United States, aimed at attracting investments and strengthening economic partnership around Iraq’s Development Road Project. According to Najjar, the project aims to attract investments worth around $40 billion across eight key sectors. The Development Road Project is a transportation, energy and trade corridor that will extend for 1,160 kilometers from the under-construction Grand Faw Port in Basra to the Turkish border through a network of highways and railways. Its total estimated cost is expected to exceed $17 billion. Najjar did not offer details about how the new fund will be funded and operated.
On November 26, the Central Bank of Iraq (CBI) issued a warning to Iraqi banks and financial institutions, instructing them to classify social media celebrities and influencers as “high-risk and multi-risk clients.” CBI documents circulating online emphasized that this group has come to represent “new risks and threats to the financial sector, particularly in the areas of money laundering, terrorism financing, illicit funding, fictitious contracts, and unjustified transfers.” The Central Bank also issued a set of directives aimed at protecting the Iraqi banking sector from any potential exploitation. These include requiring influencers to present their advertising contracts and revenue statements from the social media platforms they use, as well as requiring banks to audit the influencers’ social media accounts to verify that revenue is congruent with traffic and activity.
On November 27, authorities sealed off the entrances to the al-Rasheed Camp, an old air base that has turned into an informal landfill, days after heavy smog from unauthorized trash burning at the site engulfed the Iraqi capital, the Ministry of Environment said. The measure aims to prevent unauthorized dumping and burning of trash, which has become a major source of air pollution in Baghdad in recent years. Footage from Baghdad during the last week of November showed heavy smoke shrouding large parts of the city as residents raised complaints about risks to health and air quality data pointed to hazardous levels of pollutants. The decision to close the entrances of al-Rasheed Camp “is part of a comprehensive package of solutions developed by the ministry to address sources of pollution,” Environment Minister Halo al-Askari said. He blamed other government bodies, including the Ministries of Oil, Electricity, Industry, and the Baghdad Municipality, for engaging in “clear environmental violations [that are] among the main causes of air pollution in the capital.”
On November 28, Iraq’s Ministry of Electricity said that Iran has halted all natural gas supplies to Iraq to conduct pipeline maintenance. The Electricity Ministry said it was working with the Oil Ministry to secure alternate fuel sources to meet power plant demand until Iranian gas resumes flowing after the week-long pause. Iranian gas imports later resumed flowing at a reduced rate of 5 million cubic meters per day (compared to normal averages of 25 million cubic meters per day) a spokesman for the Electricity Ministry said on November 30.
On November 29, the federal government sent a sum of IQD 941 billion to the Kurdistan regional government (KRG) to pay the salaries of Kurdistan’s public sector employees for the month of September, the KRG Finance Ministry confirmed. The payment was approved after the KRG sent the federal government IQD 120 billion (approximately $91 million) as remittance for non-petroleum revenue generated during the corresponding month, in accordance with the budget agreement that Baghdad and Erbil announced in July.
On December 1, Iraq’s Ministry of Oil said it has extended invitations to leading American energy companies to assume management of the West Qurna‑2 oil field. The move comes three weeks after the field’s operator, Russian oil company Lukoil, declared force majeure at the field after it was hit with new U.S. sanctions. In a statement, the Ministry noted that direct and exclusive invitations have been issued to major U.S. oil firms, promising transparent competition and bidding processes to determine which company will be awarded management of the field. The Ministry emphasized that this step reflects Iraq’s commitment to sustaining oil production and ensuring stable flows to global markets. The statement added that transferring management of West Qurna‑2 to an American company would serve to deepen economic ties between Iraq and the United States, facilitate the transfer of modern technology, and enhance operational efficiency. The following day, senior Iraqi oil officials said ExxonMobil, which had operated the adjacent West Qurna-1 field before its exit nearly two years ago, had expressed interest in taking over Lukoil’s stake. “Exxon is our preferred option to take over from Lukoil. The company has the capacity and experience needed to manage a field as large and complex as West Qurna 2,” one official told Reuters. In related news, Reuters reported that the Iraqi government had to pay the salaries of Lukoil’s local staff to ensure continuity of production operations at the 480,000 bpd field as sanctions prevented the company from transferring funds into Iraq.
On December 2, the Baghdad Operations Command said that its forces had removed water violations at a total of 1,310 unauthorized fish farms that had been illegally taking water for rivers and irrigation canals during the last three months alone. Authorities also removed 286 unlicensed water pumps installed on various rivers and canals.
On December 4, the Iraqi government inaugurated what it described as the first section of its Development Road project, a 63 km section (~4 miles) linking the Grand Faw Port with the international highway in Basra. Speaking at the opening ceremony, Prime Minister Sudani hailed the Development Road as one of the most significant undertakings in the history of the Iraqi state and a “dream project for transformation into a real economy and creating a new Iraq.” The newly completed highway section extends from the gate of the Grand Faw Port northwest towards the Khor Al-Zubair channel, where it passes through a submerged tunnel toward Umm Qasr to connect with the international highway heading north.
Sources cited in this section include: al-Ghad, al-Sumaria, ISHM archive, SOMO, Peregraf, Shafaq, Rudaw, INA, Reuters, 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.