Key Takeaways:

• POLITICS: Parliament Requires Government to Enforce Federal Oil and Customs Policies on the KRG; Militias to Pause Attacks on U.S. Embassy as Pressure Mounts – On March 18, Iraq’s parliament issued an eight-point resolution during a session dedicated to restarting northern oil exports through the Kurdistan Region and addressing related disputes between Baghdad and Erbil. The resolution requires the federal government to secure alternative outlets for selling Iraqi crude oil to avoid an economic crisis. Parliament said the government must also assert its authority over all sources of crude oil production, transport, and distribution. The decision obligates the government to implement the ASYCUDA customs system in all provinces, including the Kurdistan Region. It also requires the government to pay the salaries of Kurdistan Region employees in the same manner as those of employees elsewhere in Iraq. Lawmakers from the Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP), which accuses the federal government of using import controls as a form of trade embargo, boycotted the session. Deputy Speaker Farhad al-Atrushi, also from the KDP, dismissed the session and its outcomes as “illegal.” On March 18, the Kataib Hezbollah (KH) militia announced a five-day pause in strikes targeting the U.S. embassy in Baghdad. The militia said the pause was conditional on Israel halting its airstrikes against Beirut’s southern suburb (Dahiya), the withdrawal of CIA operatives from locations outside the embassy compound, and a U.S. commitment to cease bombing targets in residential areas. It warned that attacks would intensify if these conditions are not met. Sources told Shafaq that KH made the move under mounting pressure from Iraqi political leaders, as well as firm warnings from Washington that attacks on the embassy must stop. The move also followed a warning by Supreme Judicial Council head Faeq Zaidan that attacks on diplomatic missions constitute terrorist acts under Iraqi law and may be punishable by death. In other developments, on March 9, Kuwait called on the Iraqi government to intervene to stop attacks originating from Iraqi territory. On March 10, Cardinal Louis Rafael Sako announced his resignation as head of the Chaldean Catholic Church in Iraq. On March 10–11, Prime Minister Sudani spoke separately with U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian. Sudani stressed that Iraq does not want its territory to be used in attacks against neighbors, refuses to become involved in the ongoing war, and considers attacks on Iraqi territory unacceptable violations of sovereignty that undermine efforts to return to diplomacy. more…
• SECURITY & HUMANITARIAN: U.S., Iran-Backed Militias Exchange Attacks as War Spillover Intensifies – Throughout the reporting period, the Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF) said that dozens of U.S. and Israeli airstrikes targeted PMF leaders and bases across several Iraqi provinces. The PMF and the Iraqi government condemned the strikes as violations of Iraqi sovereignty. The latest wave of strikes was concentrated in Kirkuk, Anbar, Ninewa, Salah ad-Din, Babylon, and Baghdad, and targeted at least 16 PMF brigades. One airstrike in Baghdad killed a senior Kataib Hezbollah commander known as Abu Ali al-Askari. Badr Organization leader Hadi al-Amiri said on Thursday that at least 60 PMF fighters have been killed and more than 100 wounded as a result of U.S. and Israeli strikes so far. Meanwhile, Iran-backed Iraqi militias continued to launch rocket and drone attacks on diplomatic, military, and economic targets in Baghdad, Basra, and the Kurdistan Region. They claimed to have fired dozens of munitions against “enemy bases” on a daily basis, including as many as 47 on March 17. Most of the drones and rockets—aimed at targets such as Erbil airport, the Hareer base, a logistical support facility for the U.S. embassy near Baghdad airport, the embassy itself, and Iraqi military bases—were intercepted, although some bypassed defenses. Notably, explosive drones struck the Sarsang oil field in Duhok, the Majnoon oil field in Basra, communications towers in Sulaymaniyah, the UAE consulate in Erbil, the U.S. embassy in Baghdad, the Lanaz oil refinery near Erbil, security installations near Baghdad airport, Baghdad’s al-Rasheed Hotel, two Peshmerga bases in Erbil and Sulaymaniyah, a Kuwaiti border observation tower, the Iraqi naval base at Umm Qasr, and a military base hosting French troops in the Kurdistan Region. In other developments, on March 12, Iraq’s oil marketing company (SOMO) said that two oil tankers caught fire after being attacked by unmanned military boats inside Iraq’s territorial waters. more…
• ECONOMY & CLIMATE: Iraq Restarts Northern Oil Exports, Considers Trucking as Southern Exports Collapse; Gas Shortage Threatens Power Generation – On March 18, Iraq’s Oil Ministry began exporting crude oil from federally controlled Kirkuk fields to the Turkish port of Ceyhan via the Kurdistan Region at a rate of 250,000 barrels per day (bpd). The resumption of exports was contentious. The Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) initially rejected Baghdad’s request to use the KRG-controlled pipeline to Turkey and demanded concessions on budget allocations, access to foreign currency, and import controls. The KRG later agreed to allow exports to proceed after U.S. envoy Tom Barrack raised the issue with KRG Prime Minister Masrour Barzani. Concerns about an imminent financial crisis have been rising in Iraq as oil exports, which account for more than 90% of government revenue, have ground to a halt. On March 16, Oil Minister Hayan Abdulghani said oil production had dropped from an average of 4.4 million bpd to less than 1.6 million bpd after exports from Basra were halted due to the closure of the Strait of Hormuz. In an effort to compensate for the suspension of Gulf exports, the Oil Ministry is considering using tanker trucks to transport up to 200,000 bpd of crude and fuel oil to ports in Turkey, Syria, and Jordan for export. On March 18, Iraq’s Ministry of Electricity said that Iran halted all natural gas supplies to Iraq after Israeli strikes targeted Iran’s South Pars gas field. The disruption resulted in the loss of at least 3,200 megawatts of power generation. This comes as sharp cuts to southern oil production have also reduced associated gas output. Production has also been halted at the Khor Mor field, which supplies most of the Kurdistan Region’s natural gas. In other developments, on March 7, several international oil companies began evacuating staff from Iraq after explosive drone attacks struck near oil fields and company offices in Basra and Kirkuk. On March 19, Iraq’s Civil Aviation Authority extended the complete closure of the country’s airspace to civilian traffic until Sunday, with further extensions likely. 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: Parliament Requires Government to Enforce Federal Oil and Customs Policies on the KRG; Militias to Pause Attacks on U.S. Embassy as Pressure Mounts

On March 5, an Iraqi court issued a warrant for the arrest of veteran Sunni politician Mishan al‑Jubouri, a court document circulating online showed. The warrant states that Jubouri is facing charges of threatening rival Sunni politician and former parliament speaker Mohammed al-Halbousi. The warrant comes a week after security forces arrested Jubouri’s son, Yezin Mishan al‑Jubouri from his Baghdad residence on charges that he falsely presented himself as a senior government official to obtain financial gains estimated at 41 billion IQD. 

On March 9, Kuwait called on the Iraqi government to intervene to put an end to attacks targeting it from Iraqi territory. At a meeting with Deputy Foreign Minister Mohammed Bahr al Uloom, Kuwait’s ambassador conveyed his country’s concerns regarding attacks carried out by Iran, and also provided information about strikes originating from Iraqi territory. He requested that the Iraqi government intervene to stop them in order to preserve the fraternal relations between the two neighboring countries. Bahr al-Uloom affirmed that Baghdad is making significant efforts to shield Iraq from the consequences of the war and to maintain the country’s security amid the attacks affecting Iraq like other states in the region. He also stressed that “the government is taking all necessary measures…to pursue those responsible for any actions that harm the country’s interests and its relations with neighboring states.”

On March 10, Prime Minister Sudani spoke with the U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio to discuss the repercussions of ongoing regional hostilities. Sudani assured Rubio that Baghdad remains committed to protecting foreign diplomatic missions in Iraq, while stressing that Iraq does not want its territory, air space, or waters be used in attacks on neighbors, and refuses to get involved in the ongoing war with Iran. The two sides also discussed plans to restart Iraqi oil exports through Turkey. On the following day, Sudani spoke with Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian. The Iraqi prime minister stressed that the Iraqi government is keen on Iran’s security and sovereignty, and does not allow any party or individuals to use Iraqi territory as a launchpad for attacks on Iran. At the same time, Sudani underscored that attacks targeting Iraqi territory are unacceptable violations of Iraq’s sovereignty that undermine Iraq’s efforts to end the war and return to diplomacy.

On March 10, Cardinal Louis Rafael Sako announced his resignation as head of the Chaldean Catholic Church in Iraq. In a statement, Sako said he made the decision to “dedicate himself quietly to prayer, writing, and simple service.” Sako, whose 13-year tenure was at times marked by political tensions, emphasized that he stepped down of his own volition and that no one forced him to do so. Pope Leo XIV has accepted Sako’s resignation.

On March 17, Supreme Judicial Council head Faiq Zaidan warned that attacks on diplomatic missions constitute terrorist acts under Iraqi law and may be punishable by death. In an op-ed, Zaidan emphasized that embassies and consulates are protected under international law, and that any attack—whether through vandalism, threats, assault, or siege—represents a serious violation that undermines the international system. Zaidan also warned that failure to protect diplomatic missions could expose Iraq to international accountability, including potential sanctions or isolation. He noted that such acts are criminalized under Iraq’s Penal Code No. 111 of 1969 as offenses against the state’s external security and international relations. He further wrote that Iraq’s Anti-Terrorism Law No. 13 of 2005 classifies attacks on diplomatic facilities as terrorist acts, carrying penalties that may reach capital punishment. Separately, Sabah al-Numan, a spokesperson for Prime Minister Sudani, condemned recent attacks targeting key sites, including the Majnoon oil field, the al-Rasheed Hotel, and the U.S. Embassy in Baghdad. He described the incidents as efforts to destabilize Iraq’s security and undermine government efforts toward development. Numan added that Sudani ordered security and intelligence agencies to pursue and apprehend those responsible, stressing that state security is a “red line.” He also directed that officials who failed in their duties be held accountable.

On March 18, the Iraqi parliament issued an eight‑point resolution during a session that was dedicated to discussing efforts to resume northern oil exports through the Kurdistan region and related disputes between Baghdad and Erbil (more details below). According to an official statement, the resolution requires the federal government to secure alternative outlets for selling Iraqi crude oil in order to avoid an economic crisis. Parliament said it was ready to vote on any measure that helps the government achieve that goal. The federal government must also assert its authority over all sources of production, transport, and distribution on crude oil. The decision obligates the federal government to implement the ASYCUDA customs system in all provinces, including the Kurdistan Region. It also requires the government to supply factories with fuel oil to prevent stockpiles from rising in refineries and ensure continuous refinery operations. It further requires the government to rehabilitate the Iraqi pipeline running from Kirkuk through western Mosul–Zummar–Faysh Khabur toward Ceyhan. Finally, it said the federal government must pay the salaries of Kurdistan Region employees in the same manner as employees in the rest of Iraq. Lawmakers from the Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP), which accuses the federal government of using the import controls as a form of trade embargo, boycotted a parliament session and deputy speaker Farhad al-Atrushi, who represents the KDP, dismissed the Wednesday session and its outcomes as “illegal,” arguing that the meeting’s agenda had not been approved by him and that the resolution was preceded by a proper vote. 

On March 18, the commander of the Kataib Hezbollah (KH) militia announced a five-day pause in strikes targeting the U.S. embassy in Baghdad. The militia said the pause was conditional on Israel halting its airstrikes against Beirut’s southern suburb (Dahiya), the withdrawal of CIA operatives from locations outside the embassy compound, and a U.S. commitment to cease bombing targets in residential areas. It warned that attacks would intensify if these conditions were not met. Iraqi sources told Shafaq that KH made the move under mounting pressure from Iraqi political and judicial leaders (see Faeq Zaidan’s remarks above), as well as firm warnings from Washington that attacks on the embassy must stop.

On March 19, the military spokesman for Prime Minister Sudani said the Iraqi government was working to file lawsuits against those responsible for bombing the bases of the Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF) and other security installations. The spokesman, Sabah al-Numan, reiterated Baghdad’s condemnation of the “cowardly and treacherous attack on al-Hashed al-Shabi (PMF) bases, which is an official government institution responsible for preserving security and defending Iraq.” The spokesman did not specify whether the lawsuits would target the U.S., Israel, or extend to include militias that have attacked the bases of other Iraqi security forces since March 1. 

Sources cited in this section include: Shafaq, ISHM archive, Baghdad Today, Iraqi PM’s office, INA, al-Sumaria, Vatican News, Ultra Iraq, Kurdistan24, Rudaw. 

SECURITY & HUMANITARIAN: U.S., Iran-Backed Militias Exchange Attacks as War Spillover Intensifies

On March 5, security sources said that units from the Iraqi army’s 16th division were being deployed to take over security responsibilities in parts of Ninewa province that had been previously assigned to units from the Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF). A member of the provincial council later explained that the army’s 66th brigade would be deployed to the subdistricts of Nimrud and Bartella, while the 76th brigade would deploy to the subdistricts of Wana and Tel-Kayf, all located in northeastern Ninewa along the borders with the Kurdistan region. The troops from the 66th and 76th brigades would replace PMF brigades 30 (Shabak) and 50 (Babylon), respectively, the local officials noted, adding that the move is intended to prevent attacks on the Kurdistan region from these areas.  

On March 12, Iraq’s oil marketing company (SOMO) said that two oil tankers suffered attacks while inside Iraq’s territorial waters. The Marshall Islands and Malta-flagged tankers were seen on fire after they were struck by unmanned Iranian military boats. SOMO called that attack, which killed at least one crew member and injured others, a “serious threat to maritime traffic and oil operations” in Iraq’s territorial waters.   

On March 12, the Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF) said the U.S. military had conducted 32 separate strikes against its troops and bases in several Iraqi provinces since the beginning of U.S. and Israeli war with Iran. The PMF said the strikes killed 27 of its fighters and wounded at least 50. It condemned the strikes as a violation of Iraqi sovereignty and claimed that the targeted bases had no role in attacks on U.S. forces. Actual casualties may have been higher. Security sources reported that at least 20 PMF fighters were killed in a single strike earlier that day that targeted PMF brigade 19 (Ansar Allah al-Awfiya) in the Akashat region of Anbar. The attacks were concentrated in the provinces of Diyala, Kirkuk, Anbar, Ninewa, Salah ad-Din, Wasit, and Babylon, the statement added. In total, bases and fighters from at least 16 brigades had been hit as tallied by analysts at this point. Additional strikes followed throughout the week. On March 13, an airstrike hit the Saraya al-Khorasani militia (PMF brigade 18) near the Syrian border. On March 14, another airstrike targeted offices belonging to Kataib Sayyid al-Shuhada in the Ninewa Plain region. In Baghdad, an airstrike hit a militia office in the upscale Arasat district, killing at least four individuals and wounding eight. Among those killed in the airstrikes were senior figures in Kataib Hezbollah, most notably the group’s spokesman and senior commander known as Abu Ali al-Askari. Iraq’s Joint Operations Command condemned the strike, which occurred in a busy residential area of the capital, calling it an unjustified criminal act and a violation of international norms and laws. Additional airstrikes, reportedly with drones, targeted four PMF bases in eastern Salah ad-Din, injuring at least one fighter from PMF brigade 52. On the same day, fresh strikes hit PMF brigade 19 base in Akashat for a second time. On the following day, March 15, three PMF fighters were injured when airstrikes targeted a base for PMF brigade 16 in the Taza subdistrict of Kirkuk. On Monday, March 16, another six PMF fighters were injured in attacks on two PMF bases in the Jurf al-Sakhr subdistrict of Babylon province, while a strike on a fuel depot at the base of PMF brigade 21 in the Badush subdistrict of Ninewa injured three more fighters. Meanwhile, four individuals were killed and at least two were injured in a strike on a house in the Jadriyah district of Baghdad, with reports suggesting the victims were senior militia commanders and Iranian officers. Then on Tuesday, eight PMF fighters were killed and seven were wounded in a strike on a PMF checkpoint in al-Qaim, near the Syrian border. On the same day, a strike on a base for PMF brigade 12 in al-Niba’ie, north of Baghdad, wounded three PMF fighters, while U.S. military helicopters reportedly strafed a joint base for PMF brigade 40 and a unit from the Iraqi army’s 8th division in the Dibis district of Kirkuk. Later, on March 18, airstrikes hit checkpoints manned by elements from PMF brigade 45 in al-Qaim, killing three PMF fighters and wounding several others. The positions of PMF brigades 16 and 63 also came under attack in Kirkuk, wounding three PMF fighters. On Thursday, fresh airstrikes targeted units from PMF brigades 6, 31, and 63 in Salah ad-Din province, killing at least one PMF fighter and wounding several. Three other PMF fighters were also wounded in strikes on PMF brigade 30 in the Ninewa Plain region. Badr militia leader Hadi al-Amiri said on Thursday that 60 PMF fighters were killed and more than 100 wounded as a result of U.S. and Israeli strikes during March.

Meanwhile, Iran-backed Iraqi militias operating under the umbrella group known as the Islamic Resistance in Iraq continued to launch rocket and drone attacks on diplomatic, military, and economic targets in Baghdad, Basra, and the Kurdistan region. Statements issued by the group claimed the militias fired dozens of munitions against “enemy bases” on a daily basis: that included 37 operations on March 10, another 27 operations on March 14, then 24 operations on March 15, and as many as 47 on Tuesday. Most of the drones and rockets aimed at targets such as Erbil airport, the Hareer base, a logistical support facility for the U.S. embassy near Baghdad airport, the embassy itself, and Iraqi military bases, were shot down before they could reach their targets, although some managed to bypass defenses. Of note, on March 5, two explosive drones struck the Sarsang oil field in Duhok province, forcing the operating company, HKN, to halt production. On the following day, drones struck a chemicals warehouse used by Haliburton and facilities used by TotalEnergies in Basra, prompting evacuations of foreign staff. The militias also claimed an attack on an unspecified target in neighboring Jordan, saying it meant to avenge the death of Ali Khamenei. On March 8 – 9, explosive drones struck an office of the UN in the city of Sulaymaniyah as well as several communications towers in the mountains around the city. Meanwhile, another drone struck the UAE consulate in Erbil.  To the south, drones struck the Majnoon oil field in Basra on March 12, and again on March 16, targeting a communications tower. Later, on March 13, an explosive drone struck a military base in the Kurdistan region where French troops are housed. The attack killed a French soldier and wounded six, and Prime Minister Sudani promised French President Emmanuel Macron that Baghdad would investigate the incident. Meanwhile, the militias issued a statement offering financial rewards for anyone who could help them locate and target U.S. military or intelligence personnel in Iraq. On March 14, an explosive drone struck the U.S. embassy compound, damaging communications systems installed on the roof. On the same day, another drone struck the Lanaz oil refinery outside Erbil, causing a fire at the facility. On the following day, four members of the Iraqi security forces and a civilian were injured when rockets and drones slammed into a building near Baghdad airport. The attacks raised concerns about security at an adjacent prison holding dangerous ISIS prisoners. Meanwhile, four drones struck positions belonging to the Iranian Kurdish opposition Komala party. On Tuesday, March 17, an explosive drone slammed into Baghdad’s al-Rasheed Hotel, which is often used by foreign diplomatic missions, though there were no reports of casualties. On Wednesday, March 18, explosive drones struck two Peshmerga bases in Erbil and Sulaymaniyah, wounding three soldiers. That brought the number of drones and rockets fired at targets in the Kurdistan region since hostilities began to about 340, leaving eight fatalities and dozens of injuries. Also on Wednesday, the Iraqi military said a projectile struck the Kirkuk air base. The military’s statement insisted there were only Iraqi crews and no foreign personnel at the base, implying the military suspects militias were behind the attack, which it said undermined efforts to rebuild the air force and army aviation assets. Finally, on Thursday, reports said that several explosive drones targeted a Kuwaiti border observation tower and the Iraqi naval base at Umm Qasr.   

Sources cited in this section include: Shafaq, Rudaw, al-Aalem al-Jadeed, Reuters, Baghdad Today, Mawazin, INA, al-Sumaria, Ultra Iraq, TWI, Kurdistan24, France24. 

ECONOMY & CLIMATE: Iraq Restarts Northern Oil Exports, Considers Trucking as Southern Exports Collapse; Gas Shortage Threatens Power Generation

On March 7, several international oil companies began evacuating their staff from Iraq after attacks with explosive drones struck near oil fields and company offices in Basra. Reports indicate the targeted locations included a chemicals warehouse used by Haliburton at al-Burjusiyah and facilities used by TotalEnergies at the Ratawi field. Security concerns emanating from the U.S. and Israeli war with Iran also prompted BP to evacuate foreign workers from the northern fields of Kirkuk, Iraqi oil officials told Rudaw on the same day. 

On March 18, Iraq’s Oil Ministry started exporting crude oil from the Kirkuk oil fields that are under federal control to the Turkish port of Ceyhan via the Kurdistan region at a rate of 250,000 barrels per day (bpd). The resumption of Kirkuk exports, which had been halted since March 2023 even as exports from Kurdistan’s own oil fields restarted last September, was contentious. The Natural Resources Ministry (MNR) of the Kurdistan regional government (KRG) initially rejected Baghdad’s request to allow oil from the Kirkuk fields to be exported using the KRG-controlled export pipeline to Turkey. The federal ministry accused the MNR of setting “numerous conditions that are not related to the subject of exporting crude oil.” The MNR had called on the federal government to address several KRG grievances, which include releasing delayed KRG public sector salaries, exempting the region’s border crossings from using the ASYCUDA system, supplying Kurdish traders with U.S. dollars at the official rate, and taking action to prevent militia attacks on oil fields. The KRG, however, soon softened its position and agreed to let the exports proceed after U.S. envoy Tom Barrack spoke with KRG Prime Minister Masrour Barzani. After the conversation, Barzani said he approved Baghdad’s request: “Given the extraordinary circumstances facing the country, and the responsibility we all share to get through this difficult chapter.” Erbil’s initial opposition prompted the federal Oil Ministry to accelerate work to repair the old trunk of the export pipeline, which passes through Salah ad-Din and Ninewa and was damaged during the war with ISIS, to bypass the Kurdistan region altogether. Concerns about an imminent financial crisis have been rising in Iraq as oil exports, which make up more than 90% of government revenue, ground to a halt. On March 16, Iraqi Oil Minister Hayan Abdulghani reported that the country’s oil production had dropped from an average of 4.4 million bpd to less than 1.6 million bpd as a result of the U.S. and Israeli war with Iran. With exports from the Basra ports halted due to the closing of the Strait of Hormuz, the reduced production volume is being used to supply Iraq’s refineries and some of its power plants that use crude oil for fuel, Abdulghani added. In another effort to compensate for the suspension of exports from the Gulf, the Oil Ministry is considering plans to use tanker trucks to transport up to 200,000 bpd of crude and fuel oil to ports in Turkey, Syria, and Jordan, for export. According to Abdulghani, Baghdad expects to award contracts for the transport within days.

On March 18, Iraq’s Ministry of Electricity said that Iran has halted all natural gas supplies to Iraq after Israel struck Iran’s vital South Pars gas field. The suspension of Iranian fuel imports resulted in the loss of at least 3,200 megawatts of electricity as some power plants went offline, according to ministry spokesman Ahmed Mousa. The spokesman added that the ministry was working with the Oil Ministry to secure alternate fuel sources to meet power plant demand during the outage. The loss of Iranian supplies comes at a time when the sharp cuts to Iraq’s southern oil production have also impacted the production of associated natural gas. Production had also been halted at the Khor-Mor field, which produces most of Kurdistan’s natural gas.

On March 19, Iraq’s Civil Aviation Authority extended the complete closure of the country’s airspace to civilian traffic amid ongoing hostilities involving the United States, Israel, and Iran. The closure will remain in effect at least until Sunday, with further extensions likely. In the meantime, Iraqi Airways has been organizing flights from countries with large Iraqi diasporas, such as Egypt, to the Saudi port of Arar, from where stranded Iraqis can continue their journey home by land.

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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