Key Takeaways:

• POLITICS: Zaidi Reshapes Iraq’s Security Command Structure; Baghdad to Expand Energy, Transport, and Trade Ties with Lebanon and Turkey – On July 26, government sources said that Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi re-established the Office of the Commander in Chief of the Armed Forces as part of a broader effort to reorganize the management of Iraq’s military and security institutions. An official document circulating online, dated July 23, states that the office will oversee all major security and military institutions, including the Defense and Interior ministries, the Counter-Terrorism Service, the National Intelligence Service, the National Security Service, and the Popular Mobilization Commission. Zaidi’s military spokesman said the move intended to strengthen unity of command, improve oversight, and accelerate decision-making across the security establishment. On July 26, Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam visited Baghdad for talks with Prime Minister Zaidi focused on cooperation in the communications and energy sectors. Specifically, Lebanese Energy Minister Joe Saddi said the two sides discussed Lebanon’s possible inclusion in the Iraq-Syria oil pipeline project by extending a branch of the proposed Haditha-Baniyas pipeline to the Lebanese port of Tripoli, creating an additional export outlet for Iraqi crude. On July 28, PM Zaidi arrived in Ankara for talks with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan focusing on trade, energy, security, water sharing, and advancing Baghdad’s Development Road project. During the visit, Iraq and Turkey signed four agreements covering the Development Road project, police training, industrial intellectual property, and youth and sports. On energy, Erdogan told reporters that the two sides had discussed a plan under which Turkey could receive up to one million barrels per day (bpd) of Iraqi crude oil, though he did not provide further details. In other developments, on July 30, Taqaddum Party leader Mohammed al-Halbousi visited Erbil for talks with senior Kurdistan Democratic Party leaders, marking a thaw in relations after several years of political estrangement following the collapse of their alliance with Muqtada al-Sadr in 2022. more…
• SECURITY & HUMANITARIAN: More Drone Attacks Hit the Kurdistan Region; Saudi Arabia Retaliates Following Drone Attacks Launched from Iraq – Between July 24 and 29, the Kurdistan region faced a new wave of drone attacks, many of which targeted camps for Iranian Kurdish opposition groups and suspected weapons depots. Kurdish officials said some of the drones were launched from areas west of Erbil in Ninewa province. Several of the drones struck their targets, while Global Coalition forces shot down about a dozen. On July 28, the U.S. and Saudi militaries launched airstrikes against weapons depots and logistical facilities belonging to Iran-backed Iraqi militias in seven provinces, killing at least 20 Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF) fighters and wounding 32 others. The airstrikes also killed four military advisers from Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC). The strikes came after the Saudi Defense Ministry said it intercepted multiple drones launched from Iraq targeting oil facilities in Riyadh and the Eastern Province. A military spokesman for PM Zaidi said there was no evidence to support this claim. President Donald Trump told reporters that the operation had been conducted in coordination with Baghdad. Iraqi political and militia leaders strongly condemned the Saudi move, calling it an “unjustified assault.” Senior militia leaders called on the government to reconsider relations with the U.S. and Saudi Arabia, expel U.S. forces, and acquire advanced air defense systems. Some, like Harakat al-Nujaba, threatened military retaliation. In remarks caught on video, PMF commander Abdulaziz al-Muhammadawi (Abu Fadak) appeared to categorically reject militia disarmament plans, declaring that “no man shall take the weapons.” The escalation prompted Zaidi to cancel a planned visit to Riyadh. Zaidi later met with top PMF leaders and ordered compensation for the families of those killed. A statement issued after an urgent meeting of the Coordination Framework condemned the Saudi strikes as an unacceptable violation that could further complicate regional tensions and undermine security. Separately, Muqtada al-Sadr urged the IRGC and Iraqi militias not to drag Iraq into the regional conflict. In other developments, on July 29, PM Zaidi appointed Major General Hameed Risan Allawi as the new commander of the Iraqi Navy. On July 30, Iraq’s Minister of Health, Abdulhussein al-Mosawi, revealed that the country’s financial crisis is severely affecting the Health Ministry’s ability to procure and supply medicines and medical equipment. more…
• ECONOMY & CLIMATE: Parliament Reviews Long-Delayed Final Accounts; Khor Mor Resumes Production; Oil Exports Recover Slightly; TPAO Joins bp’s Kirkuk Project- On July 25, Iraq’s parliament completed the first reading of four draft laws approving the federal government’s final accounts for the 2012-2015 fiscal years. The belated bills are intended to formally review budget implementation and identify major financial deviations and violations by government spending units. On July 27, Dana Gas announced that it had begun gradually ramping up production at the vital Khor Mor gas field in the Kurdistan region, two weeks after it had suspended production amid rising security risks. On July 28, Iraq’s Oil Ministry said crude oil exports during May and June averaged 526,470 bpd. Although still well below pre-war levels, exports recovered from April’s average of 329,513 bpd. The May-June exports generated a combined $2.335 billion in revenue, compared with the $6.814 billion generated in February before the outbreak of the Iran war. Nearly two-thirds of the May-June volume was exported from Basra. The remainder was exported through Turkey, with the bulk originating from the Kirkuk fields, while fields in the Kurdistan region contributed about 5% of the total. Exports by truck to Jordan remained at zero for the sixth consecutive month. On July 28, bp and Turkish energy company TPAO reached an agreement granting TPAO a 15% stake in bp’s project to redevelop several oil fields in Kirkuk. The agreement comes days after U.S. energy company ConocoPhillips announced it would acquire a 42% stake in the same project, which aims to raise oil and gas production from the Avana and Baba domes of the Kirkuk field, as well as the nearby Khabbaz, Jambur, and Bai Hassan fields. In other developments, on July 29, Iraq’s Commission for Statistics and GIS reported a significant decline in railway activity during 2025, citing the suspension of several passenger services and the failure to renew freight transport contracts. 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 Reshapes Iraq’s Security Command Structure; Baghdad to Expand Energy, Transport, and Trade Ties with Lebanon and Turkey

On July 26, government sources said that Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi had re-established the Office of the Commander in Chief of the Armed Forces as part of a broader effort to reorganize the management of Iraq’s military and security institutions. According to the sources, the office will absorb the Joint Operations Command, the Office of the Personal Secretary to the Commander in Chief, and the National Operations Center into a single organization aimed at unifying military planning and operational decision-making under one command. An official document circulating online, dated July 23, states that the office will oversee all major security and military institutions, including the Defense and Interior ministries, the Counter-Terrorism Service, the National Intelligence Service, the National Security Service, the Popular Mobilization Commission, the Border Crossings Commission, and the Military Industries Commission. Prime Minister Zaidi’s military spokesman, Sabah al-Numan, confirmed the move, saying it is intended to strengthen unity of command, improve oversight, and accelerate decision-making across the security establishment. “The supreme duty of the Office of the Commander in Chief of the Armed Forces lies in field oversight and precise follow-up to ensure the implementation of the Commander in Chief’s orders and directives with the highest levels of efficiency and military discipline, in a way that reinforces integration among all our units and armed formations,” Numan said. (Note: A similar office was established under former Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki and abolished in 2014.)

On July 26, Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam visited Baghdad accompanied by a delegation of senior officials for talks with Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi and other Iraqi leaders. Zaidi and Salam chaired an expanded meeting focused on cooperation in the communications and energy sectors, attended by the Lebanese ministers of Communications and Energy and the Iraqi ministers of Communications and Oil. According to an economic adviser to Zaidi, the Lebanese delegation’s primary objective was to “reshape the economic relationship, at the heart of which lies energy.” Specifically, Lebanese Energy Minister Joe Saddi said the two sides discussed Lebanon’s possible inclusion in the Iraq-Syria oil pipeline project by extending a branch of the proposed Haditha-Baniyas pipeline to the Lebanese port of Tripoli, creating an additional export outlet for Iraqi crude. In the near term, Saddi said Iraq could also make use of oil storage facilities in Lebanon, particularly in Tripoli, for exports, “as it is currently doing in Syria,” an apparent reference to the truck-based fuel-oil exports Iraq launched in March.  

On July 28, Iraqi Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi arrived in Ankara for talks with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. Zaidi said the discussions would focus on trade, investment, water sharing, and advancing Baghdad’s Development Road project. In a joint statement issued after the talks, the two sides said they had agreed to strengthen the legal framework governing bilateral relations by ratifying existing agreements, signing new cooperation documents, and accelerating the implementation of previously signed accords through joint committees. On security, both sides reaffirmed the importance of preserving the sovereignty, security, and territorial integrity of states as the foundation of regional stability. The discussions also covered counterterrorism and broader security cooperation, with particular focus on terrorist organizations that threaten both countries. The Iraqi side emphasized the importance of coordinated efforts to eliminate cross-border security threats. The statement added that the two sides discussed expanding cooperation in water, energy, trade, agriculture, regional connectivity, transportation, defense industries, investment, and education, while emphasizing integration in the energy and transportation sectors through the Development Road project. They reaffirmed their commitment to implementing the project as soon as possible and expressed their intention to conclude a comprehensive energy cooperation agreement to strengthen energy security for both countries. During the visit, Iraq and Turkey signed four memorandums of understanding dealing with the Development Road project, police training, industrial intellectual property, and youth and sports. On energy, Erdogan told reporters that the two sides had discussed a plan under which Turkey could receive up to one million barrels per day (bpd) of Iraqi crude oil, though he did not provide further details.

On July 30, Taqaddum Party leader Mohammed al-Halbousi visited Erbil for talks with senior Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) leaders, marking a significant thaw in relations after several years of political estrangement following the collapse of their alliance with Muqtada al-Sadr in 2022. During a joint press conference with Kurdistan Region Prime Minister Masrour Barzani, the two sides emphasized the need for closer coordination among Iraq’s political forces and reaffirmed their support for Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi’s government as it confronts mounting regional security and economic challenges. Barzani said the discussions focused on strengthening cooperation between the KDP and Taqaddum and stressed their shared commitment to supporting the federal government during a sensitive period for Iraq and the wider region. Halbousi, who also met with KDP leader Masoud Barzani during the visit, called on political parties to move beyond past disputes and work together to support the government’s agenda and preserve Iraq’s sovereignty and stability amid ongoing regional tensions.

Sources cited in this section include: al-Sumaria, INA, The National, ISHM archive, Kurdistan24, Shafaq, AP, Iraqi PM’s office, Rudaw.

SECURITY & HUMANITARIAN: More Drone Attacks Hit the Kurdistan Region; Saudi Arabia Retaliates Following Drone Attacks Launched from Iraq

On July 24, the Kurdistan Region’s Counter-Terrorism Service said Coalition forces shot down six one-way attack drones over Erbil after they approached the city from the west. The service said there were no casualties or damage resulting from the interceptions. On July 27, four one-way attack drones struck two camps belonging to the Kurdistan Freedom Party (PAK), an Iranian Kurdish opposition group, in Dar-Shukran and Degala, north and east of Erbil, respectively, without causing casualties. The following day, multiple drones struck targets in the village of Tagaran, northeast of Sulaymaniyah. Footage from the scene appeared to show secondary explosions, suggesting the target may have been a munitions depot, though its nature and affiliation remain unclear. Also on July 28, the Kurdistan Toilers’ Party, another Iranian Kurdish opposition group based in Iraqi Kurdistan, said at least five one-way attack drones targeted its camp in Alana, northeast of Erbil. The group said one drone struck the camp while Coalition forces intercepted the remaining drones. Meanwhile, security officials in Sulaymaniyah province said six drones targeted unspecified sites in the Sharbazher and Koy Sanjaq districts without causing casualties. Finally, on Wednesday, an attack with a single drone targeted a camp for the Kurdistan Democratic Party of Iran (KDP-I) north of Erbil and there were no reports of casualties. 

On July 27, security sources in Baghdad said that two unidentified individuals threw a grenade inside a state-owned industrial facility in al-Ghazaliyah district of Baghdad. Two employees were injured in the attack, the sources added. 

On July 28, Israeli media reported that the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) had intercepted three drones over Jordan before they could enter Israeli airspace, adding that the drones were likely launched from Iraqi territory by Iran-backed Iraqi militias. According to the reports, the drones were intercepted between Monday and Tuesday, and the IDF was continuing to investigate their exact origin.

On July 28, the U.S. and Saudi militaries launched airstrikes against Iran-backed Iraqi militias that had carried out as many as 30 attacks on U.S. and Saudi interests over the previous 72 hours on orders from Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), according to U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM). The CENTCOM statement said the strikes targeted weapons depots and logistical facilities in eastern Iraq. Earlier in the week, the Saudi Defense Ministry said its forces had intercepted multiple one-way attack drones launched from Iraqi territory targeting oil facilities in Riyadh and the kingdom’s Eastern Province. But a military spokesman for Prime Minister Zaidi denied the allegations, stressing that there was no evidence of drone attacks launched from Iraq against Saudi Arabia. The Popular Mobilization Commission said the U.S.-Saudi strikes hit several of its “official” bases in Baghdad, Diyala, Wasit, Ninewa, Karbala, Kirkuk, and Basra provinces, killing at least 20 Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF) fighters and wounding 32 others. The airstrikes also killed four military advisers from Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) who were reportedly based at a PMF camp in Diyala.  President Donald Trump told reporters that the operation had been conducted in coordination with the Iraqi government. Iraqi political and militia leaders strongly condemned Saudi strikes. Badr Organization leader Hadi al-Amiri described the strikes as an “unjustified assault” on Iraq’s sovereignty and armed forces, calling on the government to adopt a firm response and to comprehensively review its agreements with the U.S., particularly the bilateral security agreement. Asaib Ahl al-Haq leader Qais al-Khazali likewise condemned the strikes as a violation of Iraqi sovereignty and renewed calls for the withdrawal of foreign forces and the acquisition of advanced air defense systems. Harakat al-Nujaba threatened military retaliation, urged the government to end all forms of cooperation with Saudi Arabia, and warned that Riyadh and Washington would “pay a heavy price” for the attacks. Saraya Awliya al-Dam called for the expulsion of the Saudi ambassador and the severing of diplomatic and economic relations with the kingdom. In remarks caught on video, PMF commander Abdulaziz al-Muhammadawi (Abu Fadak) appeared to categorically reject militia disarmament plans, declaring that “no man shall take the weapons.” According to government sources, the escalation prompted Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi to delay or cancel a planned visit to Saudi Arabia. Zaidi visited the headquarters of the Popular Mobilization Commission to meet with top PMF leaders and issued orders to compensate the families of those killed in the Saudi strikes and pay to send the wounded abroad for medical care. Zaidi also chaired an urgent meeting of the Coordination Framework leaders to discuss the attacks. A statement issued after the meeting condemned the Saudi strikes as an unacceptable violation of sovereignty that can complicate regional tensions and further undermine security. Separately, Shia cleric Muqtada al-Sadr urged the IRGC and Iraqi militias not to drag Iraq into the regional conflict, while calling on the government to enforce state sovereignty and maintain security. He further dismissed militia leaders as traders who exploit the sacrifices of PMF fighters to enrich themselves.

On July 29, news reports said that Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi appointed Major General Hameed Risan Allawi as the new commander of the Iraqi Navy. The appointment came a week after parliament endorsed the recommendations of its Defense and Security Committee to dismiss former Navy Commander General Mazin Abdulwahid and two other senior naval officers, citing their failure to prevent a recent maritime border incident in which Kuwaiti sailors killed an Iraqi fisherman and detained several others.

On July 30, Iraq’s Minister of Health, Abdulhussein al-Mosawi, revealed that the country’s financial crisis is severely affecting the Health Ministry’s ability to procure and supply medicines and medical equipment. In recorded remarks during a meeting with other officials, Mosawi said that Iraq’s state-run drug procurement company, Kimadia, had received only 15% of its budget allocation as the government struggles to secure sufficient funds to pay public-sector salaries. As a result, some suppliers have suspended deliveries under existing contracts, while Kimadia has been unable to sign new procurement agreements.

Sources cited in this section include: Shafaq, NINA, ISHM archive, INA, social media, Iraqi PM’s office, al-Sumaria, CENTCOM, Asharq al-Awsat, +964, Fox News, AP, Ultra Iraq, Baghdad Today, Rudaw, Mawazin, Jerusalem Post, Peregraf. 

ECONOMY & CLIMATE: Parliament Reviews Long-Delayed Final Accounts; Khor Mor Resumes Production; Oil Exports Recover Slightly; TPAO Joins bp’s Kirkuk Project

On July 25, Iraq’s parliament completed the first reading of four draft laws approving the federal government’s final accounts for the 2012–2015 fiscal years. Submitted by the Finance Committee, the bills are intended to formally review the implementation of the federal budgets during those years, identify major financial deviations and violations by government spending units, assess how they were addressed, and use the findings to improve the preparation of subsequent federal budgets. 

On July 27, Dana Gas announced that it had begun gradually ramping up production at the Khor-Mor gas field in the Kurdistan region, with the aim of returning operations to normal after completing a new assessment of security conditions on the ground. The announcement came two weeks after the company temporarily suspended production as a precautionary measure amid what it described as “credible security threats” and rising regional tensions. The disruption, which followed the July 15 drone attack on Erbil, resulted in the loss of approximately 2,500 megawatts of power generation capacity, according to the Kurdistan Regional Government’s Ministry of Electricity.

On July 28, Iraq’s Oil Ministry reported that crude oil exports during the two-month period of May-June totaled 32.114 million barrels, averaging 526,470 barrels per day (bpd), amid continued shipping disruptions through the Strait of Hormuz. Although still well below pre-war levels, exports recovered from April’s average of 329,513 bpd. The ministry said the May-June exports generated a combined $2.335 billion in revenue, compared with the $6.814 billion generated in February before the outbreak of the Iran war. Nearly two-thirds of the May-June volume (20.23 million barrels) was exported from Basra. The remainder was exported through Turkey, with under one-third (10.3 million barrels) coming from the Kirkuk fields, while fields in the Kurdistan region contributed about 5% of the total (slightly more than 1.56 million barrels). Exports by truck to Jordan, which typically average around 10,000 bpd, remained at zero for the sixth consecutive month pending renewal of the bilateral pricing agreement.

On July 28, bp and Turkish energy company TPAO reached an agreement granting TPAO a 15% stake in bp’s project to redevelop several oil fields in Kirkuk. In a statement, bp said the agreement builds on a preliminary deal reached with TPAO in February and was signed during Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi’s visit to Ankara. The agreement comes days after U.S. energy company ConocoPhillips announced it would acquire a 42% stake in the same project. In March 2025, bp received final government approval for its agreement with Iraq’s North Oil Company and North Gas Company to redevelop the Avana and Baba domes of the Kirkuk oil field, as well as the nearby Khabbaz, Jambur, and Bai Hassan fields. According to the Iraqi government, the project aims to increase production from these fields to 420,000 barrels per day (bpd) of oil. The agreement also provides for capturing 400 million cubic feet per day (cf/d) of associated natural gas, expanding North Gas Company’s processing facilities, and constructing a 400-megawatt power plant. Following the latest agreements, bp will hold a 43% stake in the project, ConocoPhillips 42%, and TPAO the remaining 15%.

On July 29, Iraq’s Commission of Statistic and GIS reported a significant decline in railway activity during 2025, citing the suspension of several passenger services and the failure to renew freight transport contracts. According to the report (full pdf here), the number of rail passengers fell by 22.6% to 192,000, down from 248,000 the previous year. Freight volumes also declined by 27%, with Iraq’s railways transporting 354,000 tons of cargo in 2025, down from 485,000 in 2025. Passenger transport revenue fell by 17.9% to IQD 2.2 billion, which the report attributed to reduced freight wagon availability and the suspension of cargo operations for several months after freight transport contracts were not renewed.

Sources cited in this section include: Rudaw, ISHM archive, Mawazin, Shafaq, SOMO, bp, INA, Commission of Statistic, Iraq’s parliament.

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.