Key Takeaways:

• POLITICS: Parliament Approves a Partial Cabinet Led by New Prime Minister Ali Al-Zaidi – On May 14, the Iraqi parliament voted to approve the government program and a partial cabinet led by Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi. During the session, which was attended by 270 lawmakers and held under tight security measures, parliament approved 14 ministerial nominees presented by Zaidi, the businessman selected by the Coordination Framework on April 28 to form the new government. Parliament postponed votes on several key portfolios—Defense, Higher Education, Interior, Migration and Displacement, Youth and Sports, Labor and Social Affairs, Culture, Housing and Reconstruction, and Planning—pending further negotiations among the political blocs. The session was adjourned after Zaidi and the 14 approved ministers, who include two incumbents, were sworn in by parliament speaker Haybat al-Halbousi. No date has yet been set for a vote on the remaining cabinet positions. In other developments, on May 8, Shia cleric Muqtada al-Sadr issued a statement outlining conditions and expectations for Iraq’s next government. Notably, Sadr called for all armed factions to be transformed into humanitarian and relief organizations, saying groups that refuse should be considered outside the law. He added that, if other factions comply, he would be prepared to dissolve his affiliated Promised Day Brigade and place the Saraya al-Salam militia under the authority of the commander-in-chief, urging all sides to take similar steps quickly. more…
• SECURITY & HUMANITARIAN: Iraq Acknowledges Israeli Forces Had a Base Inside Iraq in March – On May 12, a senior Iraqi military commander acknowledged that an Israeli force had established a temporary presence in Iraq’s southern desert during the early days of the U.S.-Israeli war with Iran. The Israeli force remained at its remote outpost in the Najaf desert for just 48 hours, according to the head of Karbala Operations Command, Lieutenant General Ali al-Hashimi. The acknowledgment came days after The Wall Street Journal reported that Israel had established a base deep inside Iraq from which it supported its air campaign against Iran. The Israeli troops, backed by air assets, reportedly fired at Iraqi forces that had been alerted to the activity. In earlier accounts of the March 4 incident, Iraq said security forces had come under attack from an unidentified force in the desert between Najaf and Karbala, killing one soldier and wounding two others. In a statement issued on Tuesday, Iraq’s Defense Ministry affirmed that no unauthorized foreign forces are currently operating inside Iraq and that Iraqi forces are patrolling the desert and remain fully in control. In other developments, on May 10, the Kurdistan Toilers’ Association, an Iranian Kurdish opposition group based in Iraq, said an Iranian attack involving three rockets targeted its camp in Erbil province. On May 13, a report by Reuters revealed that Saudi Arabia had launched airstrikes against Iran-backed militias in southern Iraq during the conflict with Iran. more…
• ECONOMY & CLIMATE: LNG Platform Commissioned by Iraq Diverted to Jordan as Conflict Prevents Delivery to Basra – On May 7, news reports citing Excelerate Energy’s latest quarterly report said the company will divert a floating liquefied natural gas (LNG) platform commissioned for Iraq to serve a nine-month contract in Jordan instead. Explaining the decision, Excelerate cited delays in constructing the onshore infrastructure needed to accommodate the newly built floating storage regasification unit (FSRU), attributing the setbacks to disruptions caused by the Iran conflict. As a result, the company now expects the Iraqi platform to become operational sometime in 2027, rather than in the third quarter of 2026 as originally planned. Iraq’s Ministry of Electricity expects the delay to further widen the gap between projected electricity generation and peak summer demand. In other developments, on May 10, Iraqi oil officials said the old northern oil export pipeline linking the Kirkuk oil fields to the Turkish border through Ninewa province will be ready to resume operations within a month. The pipeline, heavily damaged during the war with ISIS, will be able to move up to 350,000 barrels per day (bpd) of oil to the Turkish section of the export pipeline, though actual volumes will be much lower due to limited capacity to transport oil from the prolific southern fields of Basra northward to Kirkuk, where it could be fed into the restored pipeline. 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 Approves a Partial Cabinet Led by New Prime Minister Ali Al-Zaidi

On May 8, Shia cleric Muqtada al-Sadr issued a statement outlining conditions and expectations for Iraq’s next government. Sadr called for all armed factions to be transformed into humanitarian and relief organizations, saying groups that refuse should be considered outside the law. He added that if other factions comply, he would be prepared to dissolve his affiliated Promised Day Brigade and place the Saraya al-Salam militias under the authority of the commander-in-chief, urging all sides to take similar steps quickly. Sadr also demanded the exclusion from the next cabinet of any political actors affiliated with armed groups. In addition, he urged the incoming government to work toward securing Iraq’s independence from foreign interference and to launch an immediate anti-corruption campaign, beginning with the so-called “Heist of the Century.” Sadr further called for strengthening Iraq’s foreign relations in a manner that restores the country’s regional and international standing without allowing outside interference in its affairs.

On May 10, Coordination Framework (CF) sources told Ultra Iraq that the commander of Iran’s Quds Force, Esmail Qaani, arrived in Baghdad for talks with Coordination Framework (CF) leaders and militia commanders amid ongoing government formation negotiations. According to the sources, Iran expressed reservations about the direction of the talks in light of Washington’s support for Prime Minister-designate Ali al-Zaidi and concerns over the future of Tehran’s influence in Baghdad. The sources predicted that Iran’s negative attitude towards Zaidi will make a vote on Zaidi’s cabinet unlikely this week. Subsequent reports said Qaani conveyed Iran’s objections to yielding to U.S. pressure regarding the composition of the next cabinet. According to a report by Asharq al-Awsat, citing two Iraqi officials, Qaani relayed an Iranian “veto” of U.S. demands to exclude Iran-backed militias from the next government. The report added that the Iranian general urged CF leaders not to support a cabinet formation that would diminish the influence of Tehran’s allies within Iraq’s political system.   

On May 14, the Iraqi parliament voted to approve the government program and a partial cabinet led by Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi. During the session, which was attended by 270 lawmakers and held under tight security measures, parliament approved 14 ministerial nominees presented by Zaidi, the businessman selected by the Coordination Framework on April 28 to form the new government. Parliament postponed votes on several key portfolios—Defense, Higher Education, Interior, Migration and Displacement, Youth and Sports, Labor and Social Affairs, Culture, Housing and Reconstruction, and Planning—pending further negotiations among the political blocs. The text of Zaidi’s government program, submitted to parliament several days before the vote, can be found here, while the list of ministers approved during today’s session, which includes two incumbents, is as follows:

• Foreign Affairs: Fuad Hussein (incumbent)
• Oil: Basim Mohammed Khudeir 
• Finance: Falih al-Sari 
• Environment: Sarwa Abdulwahid
• Health: Abdulhussein al-Mousawi 
• Trade: Mustafa Nazar Juma 
• Transportation: Ali Wahab Mohammed 
• Water Resources: Muthanna Ali Mahdi 
• Agriculture: Abdulrahim Jasim
• Education: Abdulkarim Abtan 
• Justice: Khalid Shwani (incumbent)
• Electricity: Ali Sadi Waheib
• Communications: Mustafa Sanad 
• Industry and Minerals: Mohammed Nouri

The session was adjourned after Zaidi and the 14 approved ministers were sworn in by parliament speaker Haybat al-Halbousi. No date has yet been set for a vote on the remaining cabinet positions.

Sources cited in this section include: Ultra Iraq, Asharq al-Awsat, INA, al-Sumaria, social media, Shafaq, Rudaw, ISHM archive, Kurdistan24. 

SECURITY & HUMANITARIAN: Iraq Acknowledges Israeli Forces Had a Base Inside Iraq in March

On May 8, security sources in Anbar province said that a legacy improvised explosive device (IED) detonated near a farmer working on his land in the Kubeisa subdistrict of the province. The farmer was wounded in the explosion and was taken to the hospital for treatment. 

On May 10, members of the Kurdistan Toilers’ Association, an Iranian Kurdish opposition group based in Iraq, said that an Iranian attack with three rockets targeted its camp in the Alanah region of Erbil province. The attack caused significant material damage to the target, which some reports said involved weapons stores, but there were no reports of casualties.  

On May 11, security sources in Kirkuk told Shafaq News that the Defense Ministry issued orders to appoint Major General Maad al-Darraji as the new chief of the Kirkuk Operations Command. Darraj will replace the outgoing commander, Lieutenant General Salih Hirz, who will be assigned to lead the planning committee with the Joint Operations Command, the sources added. 

On May 12, a senior Iraqi military commander acknowledged that an Israeli force had established a temporary presence in Iraq’s southern desert during the early days of the U.S. and Israeli war with Iran. The Israeli force was in its remote outpost in the desert of Najaf for just 48 hours, according to the head of Karbala Operations Command, Lieutenant General Ali al-Hashimi. The acknowledgment came days after The Wall Street Journal revealed that Israel had established a base deep inside Iraq from where it supported its air campaign against Iran. The Israeli troops, backed by air assets, fired at Iraqi forces that were alerted to the activity. In earlier accounts of the March 4 incident, Iraq said that security forces had come under attack from the air and ground in a desert region between Najaf and Karbala, killing one soldier and wounding two. The source of the attack was not immediately clear, although unconfirmed reports at the time pointed to U.S. or allied airborne infiltrations aimed at neutralizing militia capabilities threatening U.S. forces and Gulf states. In a statement issued on Tuesday, Iraq’s Defense Ministry affirmed that no unauthorized foreign forces are currently operating inside Iraq and that Iraqi forces have been patrolling the desert and were fully in control.

On May 12, security sources in Basra said that armed clashes erupted between two tribes in the neighborhood of al-Ma’qal. Five people were wounded in the clashes, which the sources said were linked to an old blood.

On May 13, a report by Reuters revealed that Saudi Arabia had launched airstrikes against Iran-backed militias in southern Iraq during the conflict with Iran. The report, which cites U.S. and Iraqi security officials, says the early April strikes were conducted in response to attacks by these militias against Saudi Arabia and other Gulf states. 

Sources cited in this section include: Shafaq, Rudaw, al-Sumaria, Reuters, WSJ, al-Ghad, ISHM archive, Mawazin, social media. 

ECONOMY & CLIMATE: LNG Platform Commissioned by Iraq Diverted to Jordan as Conflict Prevents Delivery to Basra

On May 7, news reports citing Excelerate Energy’s latest quarterly report said the company plans to divert a floating liquefied natural gas (LNG) platform commissioned for Iraq to serve a nine-month contract in Jordan instead. Explaining the decision, Excelerate cited delays in constructing the onshore infrastructure needed to accommodate the newly built floating storage regasification unit (FSRU), attributing the setbacks to disruptions caused by the Iran conflict. As a result, the company now expects the Iraqi platform to become operational sometime in 2027, rather than in the third quarter of 2026 as originally planned. Last month, Iraq’s Ministry of Electricity warned that delays affecting the platform and the associated gas supply contract with Excelerate could significantly widen the gap between projected electricity generation and peak summer demand. In related news, a spokesman for the Electricity Ministry said that heightened security measures by Kuwaiti authorities are preventing Iraqi and Kuwaiti crews from accessing worksites near the border to finalize a grid connection that would supply Iraq with electricity from Gulf countries. 

On May 7, Iraq’s Oil Ministry rejected oil smuggling accusations targeting Deputy Oil Minister Ali Maarij al-Bahadly, apparently referring to sanctions imposed that day by the U.S. Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC). In a statement, the Ministry said that oil marketing, export operations, and related procedures—including tanker loading—are handled by specialized companies and institutions and do not fall under the responsibilities of the Deputy Oil Minister for Distribution. The Ministry added that it was prepared to fully cooperate with any fair investigation conducted by the Iraqi judiciary and the Integrity Commission. OFAC accused Bahadly of diverting Iraqi oil to benefit Iran and proxy militias, and of facilitating forged documentation and export rights for sanctioned oil smuggler Salim Ahmed Said.

On May 10, Iraqi Oil Ministry officials said the old northern oil export pipeline linking the Kirkuk oil fields to the Turkish border through Ninewa province will be ready to resume operations within a month. The pipeline, which was heavily damaged during the war with ISIS, runs roughly parallel to the export pipeline built and operated by the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) since 2013. Once restoration work is completed, the Iraqi pipeline will be capable of transporting up to 350,000 barrels per day (bpd) of oil to the Turkish section of the export route terminating at the port of Ceyhan, according to Deputy Oil Minister Basim Khudeir. Khudeir noted, however, that reaching that export level in practice will not be possible in the near term due to limited capacity to transport oil produced in the prolific southern fields of Basra northward to Kirkuk, where it could be fed into the restored pipeline. The Ministry recently said it was relying on trucks to move up 90,000 bpd from Basra to Kirkuk using tanker trucks in order to boost northern oil exports amid the continued closure of the Strait of Hormuz that has blocked exports from the south. 

On May 11, Iranian press reports said that an oil tanker carrying Iraqi crude transited through the Strait of Hormuz on Sunday in coordination with Iranian authorities on its way to Vietnam. The tanker, named Agios Fanourios, is said to have followed a specific route designated by the Iranian military for safe transit through the strait. Ship tracking data from Monday showed the 330-meter long vessel to be in the Gulf of Oman, southeast of Hormuz, a full three weeks after leaving the ports of Basra. All in all, only two tankers loaded with Iraqi crude have been able to transit through the strait as of Tuesday, May 12, according to Deputy Oil Minister Basim Khudeir. A third tanker, the Chinese-flagged Yuan Hua Hu, reportedly crossed the strait carrying two million barrels of Iraqi crude after being stuck in the Gulf since early March. Also this week, Khudeir said the Basrah Gas Company was able to load its first shipment of gas condensates for export since the beginning of the U.S. and Israeli war with Iran. The tanker Dakosh was loaded with 50,000 cubic meters of condensates and departed from Basra successfully, the official added.

On May 12, the federal government sent more than IQD 961 billion to the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) to pay a portion of the salaries for public sector employees for the month of April, according to the KRG Finance Ministry. This payment was approved after the KRG remitted IQD 50 billion to Baghdad as its share of non-petroleum revenue generated during that month. This exchange adheres to the budget agreement announced last July. The April remittance, which represents 50% of the KRG’s generated revenue, is significantly lower than previous payments of IQD 120 billion. The decline is largely attributed to the impact of regional conflict on trade and customs fees, which constitute the bulk of the KRG’s non-oil income. 

Sources cited in this section include: Iraq Observer, Excelerate Energy, ISHM archive, Iraq’s Oil Ministry, INA, Marine Traffic, Rudaw, al-Sumaria, PUKMedia.

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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