Key Takeaways:

• POLITICS: Zaidi to Advance Business Ties in Upcoming Washington Visit; Deputy Speaker Feyhan Calls for Halting Funds to KRG – On June 6, Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi announced plans for an official visit to the United States accompanied by a delegation of Iraqi business leaders aimed at expanding investment and economic ties. Speaking during a meeting with representatives of the private sector, banking industry, and the Iraqi Economic Council, Zaidi said his government views the private sector as a key partner in economic reform and development and pledged an “open-door” policy toward business concerns and proposals. Zaidi highlighted several economic initiatives, including a plan to develop one million residential land plots with private-sector participation and the expansion of the Development Fund (established in 2023), saying it will receive a $10 billion contribution from the Central Bank. On June 7, First Deputy Speaker of Parliament Adnan Feyhan called on the federal government to suspend all financial transfers to the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) until a full settlement is reached regarding revenues owed to Baghdad under the federal budget law and existing agreements between the two sides. Feyhan, who represents Asaib Ahl al-Haq, argued that the Sudani government continued to transfer funds to the KRG, including salary payments, despite the region’s failure to remit the agreed-upon share of non-oil revenues. He warned that any further transfers without a legally mandated reconciliation of accounts could expose the federal government to parliamentary and legal scrutiny. In other developments, Iraqi courts requested that parliament lift the immunity of two lawmakers facing charges of extortion and criminal negligence, one of whom is former Wasit governor Mohammed al-Mayahi. On June 6, Zaidi met with representatives of medical interns who have been on strike since June 1 and promised them permanent appointments and wage increases. On June 10, Zaidi dispatched intelligence chief Hameed al-Shatri to Damascus to deliver a message to Syrian President Ahmed al-Shara expressing Baghdad’s interest in expanding bilateral security and economic cooperation. more…
• SECURITY & HUMANITARIAN: Militias Deliver Personnel and Equipment Records to Government Committee Under Reorganization Plan – On June 6, a military spokesman for Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi said Zaidi had issued an executive order establishing a committee to develop binding mechanisms and procedures for ending the presence of armed formations outside state control, withdrawing weapons, dismantling political affiliations, and ensuring full integration under state authority. Lieutenant General Qais al-Mohammadawi, who chairs the committee, said later that Kataib al-Imam Ali (KIA) and Saraya al-Salam militias had handed over records concerning their personnel, weapons, equipment, and vehicles as part of the integration and reorganization process. He did not offer details about the developments, which come days after the militias announced plans to place their weapons under state control. In other developments, between June 4-5, the explosions of two remnants of war in Anbar and Najaf killed one civilian and wounded six others. On June 5, Iraqi troops shot down an unidentified drone that was seen approaching the perimeter of the Baiji refinery complex. Between June 7-9, Iranian Kurdish opposition groups based in the Kurdistan region of Iraq reported multiple drone attacks on their camps in Erbil province. more…
• ECONOMY & CLIMATE: Company Demands Delay Effort to Raise Oil Exports; Multiple Issues Delay Re-Opening of Mosul’s Airport – On June 10, Bas News reported that international oil companies operating in the Kurdistan region have set three conditions for resuming oil production at full capacity. The conditions include protecting oil fields from future rocket and drone attacks, regular payment of operating expenses in accordance with the amended federal budget law, and repayment of long-overdue arrears for past production. The report points to a potential setback for Iraqi government efforts to boost exports and revenue. It comes a week after Prime Minister Zaidi met with representatives of the oil companies to discuss restarting production that has been curtailed since the outbreak of the Iran war, as Baghdad seeks to increase northern oil exports through Turkey to offset the collapse of southern exports through the Strait of Hormuz. The government’s plan calls for more than tripling exports from approximately 220,000 barrels per day (bpd) to 770,000 bpd by mid-August. On June 10, Iraq’s Civil Aviation Authority (ICAA) said that multiple technical and management issues have contributed to the year-long delay in reopening Mosul International Airport. These include delays in hiring an inspection consultant to verify that the project meets technical standards, the failure to designate an entity responsible for managing and operating the airport, including the hiring of qualified personnel, and delays in finalizing aircraft approach and departure route designs. Reconstruction of the airport, which was destroyed during the war against ISIS, began in August 2022 and was completed last year at a cost of approximately $150 million. Commercial flight operations had initially been expected to begin in June 2025. 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: Zaidi to Advance Business Ties in Upcoming Washington Visit; Deputy Speaker Feyhan Calls for Halting Funds to KRG

On June 6, Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi announced plans for an official visit to the United States accompanied by a delegation of Iraqi business leaders aimed at expanding investment and economic cooperation. Speaking during a meeting with representatives of the private sector, banking industry, and the Iraqi Economic Council, Zaidi said his government views the private sector as a key partner in economic reform and development and pledged an “open-door” policy toward business concerns and proposals. He also emphasized efforts to combat corruption and extortion, urging businesses not to pay bribes and to report any obstruction by government officials. Zaidi highlighted several economic initiatives, including a plan to develop one million residential land plots with private-sector participation and the expansion of the Development Fund (which former Prime Minister Sudani first announced in 2023) saying it will receive a $10 billion contribution from the Central Bank and offer investment opportunities to the public. He added that the fund’s profits would be tax-exempt and used to finance new industrial projects.

On June 6, Iraqi Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi met with representatives of medical interns who have been on strike since June 1 to demand stable employment and better pay. During the meeting, Zaidi promised to include a provision in the 2027 budget bill that would provide permanent appointments for doctors currently serving under temporary contracts. He also pledged an immediate increase of about 50% in their wages, to be funded within the current fiscal year. The striking interns, who reportedly number around 5,000, receive monthly stipends of IQD 420,000 (less than $300) under their temporary appointments but say they have not been paid for four months. News reports indicate that the strike has disrupted operations at numerous hospitals and health clinics across Iraq, excluding the Kurdistan region.

On June 7, Iraq’s Central Anti-Corruption Criminal Court requested that parliament lift the immunity of Baghdad lawmaker Hasanain al-Khafaji, who is facing extortion charges. In a document addressed to Speaker Haybat al-Halbousi, the Court alleged that Khafaji demanded a $500,000 bribe from a real estate developer and pressured the developer to grant a 40% stake in a development project to one of his staff members. Khafaji won his parliamentary seat as a member of the Reconstruction and Development Coalition (RDC) led by former Prime Minister Mohammed al-Sudani and has served on parliament’s Investment and Development Committee. He severed ties with Sudani’s bloc on May 20. Meanwhile, a court in Wasit province requested that parliament lift the immunity of Wasit lawmaker and former governor Mohammed al-Mayahi in connection with investigations concerning last year’s deadly mall fire in the city of al-Kut that killed dozens. At the time, Mayahi, accused Sudani of politicizing the incident and investigation, alleging that Sudani was punishing him for refusing to join his electoral coalition.   

On June 7, First Deputy Speaker of Parliament Adnan Feyhan called on the federal government to suspend all financial transfers to the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) until a full settlement is reached regarding revenues owed to Baghdad under the federal budget law and existing agreements between the two sides. Feyhan, who represents Asaib Ahl al-Haq, argued that the Sudani government continued to transfer funds to the KRG, including salary payments, despite the region’s failure to remit agreed non-oil revenues. He said the KRG was originally required to transfer IQD 391 billion per month in non-oil revenues, a figure later reduced twice through negotiations and a subsequent agreement made in 2025. According to Feyhan, however, the KRG has consistently fallen short of its obligations, remitting only IQD 40–50 billion per month in recent months. He warned that any further transfers without a legally mandated reconciliation of accounts could expose the federal government to parliamentary and legal scrutiny. The KRG Finance Ministry rejected the accusations, affirming that it met its obligations throughout 2025 even as the federal government funded KRG salaries for only 10 months out of 12. It also attributed the reduced remittances in 2026 to the impact of the Iran war and ongoing negotiations regarding implementing the ASYCUDA system at the region’s ports of entry. 

On June 9, an Iraqi court released former Ninewa governor Nawfal al-Agoub after spending more than five years in prison, citing his eligibility to benefit from the general amnesty law amendment passed last year. Agoub was dismissed from office in 2019 over negligence following a deadly ferry sinking accident in Mosul that killed more than 150 people. In 2020, Agoub was charged with embezzling IQD76 billion ($64 million) from funds intended to rebuild Mosul’s health and transportation infrastructure. 

On June 10, Iraqi Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi dispatched intelligence chief Hameed al-Shatri to Damascus to deliver a message to Syrian President Ahmed al-Shara, according to a statement from Zaidi’s office. The letter expressed Baghdad’s interest in expanding bilateral cooperation to address current regional crises, particularly in the areas of security and economic challenges. Shara responded by reaffirming Syria’s commitment to working with Iraq to strengthen security and economic cooperation, the statement added.

Sources cited in this section include: Shafaq, ISHM archive, al-Ghad, al-Sumaria, Ultra Iraq, Iraq Observer, social media, INA, Rudaw, Baghdad Today, Iraqi PM’s office. 

SECURITY & HUMANITARIAN: Militias Deliver Personnel and Equipment Records to Government Committee Under Reorganization Plan

On June 4, local sources in Anbar province said that an improvised explosive device (IED) leftover from the war with ISIS detonated while shepherds and their animals were passing through al-Yarmouk subdistrict near Ramadi. The explosion killed one of the shepherds and wounded four others. On the following day, sources in Najaf said that two civilians were wounded when a remnant of war exploded near them in the vast Wadi al-Salam cemetery west of the city. 

On June 5, security sources in Salah ad-Din province said Iraqi air defense gunners shot down an unidentified drone that was seen approaching the perimeter of the Baiji refinery complex. There were no casualties or damage as a result of the incident, the sources added, without providing information about the type of the drone in question.

On June 6, a military spokesman for Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi said Zaidi had issued an executive order establishing a committee to develop binding military mechanisms and procedures for ending armed formations outside state control, withdrawing weapons, dismantling political affiliations, and ensuring full integration under state authority. The spokesman said the committee is chaired by the deputy commander of the Joint Operations Command, Lieutenant General Qais al-Mohammadawi. On June 10, the Security Media Cell said Mohammadawi oversaw the receipt of records concerning the personnel, weapons, equipment, and vehicles belonging to the Kataib al-Imam Ali (KIA) militia as part of the integration and reorganization process. On June 11, Mohammadawi said that authorities had also completed the transfer of records related to Muqtada al-Sadr’s Saraya al-Salam militia and had begun formal integration procedures. He did not offer details about the developments, which come after KIA, Asaib Ahl al-Haq, and Saraya al-Salam announced plans to place their weapons under state control.   

On June 7, the Kurdistan Freedom Party, an Iranian Kurdish opposition group based in the Kurdistan region of Iraq, said that an attack with an Iranian Shahed drone targeted one of its camps in the Dar-Shukran subdistrict of Erbil province. Meanwhile, two additional drones of unknown origin were shot down over the Bajeel district of Duhok province without causing casualties or damage, according to local officials. Then on Tuesday, an attack with five drones targeted camps for the Kurdistan Democratic Party of Iran and the Kurdistan Toilers’ Party in the Alanah Valley region of Erbil province. Two of the drones struck near the camps, causing some damage, while three were shot down by Global Coalition aircraft, according to sources from the two groups.

Sources cited in this section include: al-Sumaria, Shafaq, Mawazin, INA, ISHM archive, Rudaw. 

ECONOMY & CLIMATE: Company Demands Delay Effort to Raise Oil Exports; Multiple Issues Delay Re-Opening of Mosul’s Airport

On June 10, Bas News reported, citing comments by prominent economic analyst Nabil al-Marsoumi, that international oil companies operating in the Kurdistan region have set three conditions for resuming oil production at full capacity. The conditions include protection of oil fields from future rocket and drone attacks, regular payment of operating expenses in accordance with the amended federal budget law, and repayment of long-overdue arrears for past production. The report points to a potential setback for Iraqi government efforts to boost exports and revenue. It comes a week after Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi met with representatives of the oil companies to discuss ways of restarting production that has been curtailed since the outbreak of the Iran war, as Baghdad seeks to increase northern oil exports through Turkey to offset the collapse of southern exports through the Strait of Hormuz. The government’s plan calls for more than tripling pipeline exports to Turkey from current levels of approximately 220,000 barrels per day (bpd) to 770,000 bpd by mid-August.

On June 10, Iraq’s Civil Aviation Authority (ICAA) said that multiple technical and management issues have contributed to the year-long delay in opening Mosul International Airport. These include delays in hiring an inspection consultant to verify that the project meets technical standards, the failure to designate an entity responsible for managing and operating the airport, including the provision of qualified personnel, and delays in finalizing aircraft approach and departure route designs. Reconstruction of the airport, which was destroyed during the war against ISIS, began in August 2022 and was completed last year at a cost of approximately $150 million. Commercial flight operations had initially been expected to begin in June 2025.

Sources cited in this section include: Bas News, ISHM archive, al-Sa’a. 

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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