Key Takeaways:

• POLITICS: Iraq-Saudi Security Talks Focus on Drone Attacks; Anti-Corruption Campaign Targets First Significant Shia Figure; Zaidi Seeks Legislative Support for Militia Disarmament – On August 7, Saudi intelligence chief Khalid bin Ali al-Humaidan arrived in Baghdad for talks with Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi and to extend a new invitation to visit Riyadh after Zaidi canceled an earlier planned visit following attacks by Iraqi militias on Saudi Arabia and subsequent U.S.-Saudi retaliatory strikes. Zaidi emphasized Baghdad’s interest in strengthening relations with Riyadh and reiterated that his government does not want Iraqi territory to be used to launch attacks against any neighbor. The two sides agreed to continue intelligence sharing to address emerging challenges and avoid further escalation. The high-level engagement continued on August 13, when a delegation of senior Iraqi intelligence and security officials arrived in Riyadh. The talks are expected to focus on drone strikes launched from Iraq toward Saudi Arabia, intelligence sharing, and measures to prevent similar attacks in the future. The delegation includes the director of the Office of the Commander-in-Chief, the intelligence chief, and the commanders of the Air Defense and Counter-Terrorism Service. On August 8, authorities arrested former Salah ad-Din Governor and lawmaker Ahmed Abdullah al-Jubouri (aka Abu Mazin) in Baghdad on corruption charges. In another anti-corruption development, court documents circulating online showed that the Central Anti-Corruption Criminal Court had issued an arrest warrant for former Labor Minister and lawmaker Ahmed al-Asadi and asked parliament to lift the immunity of his colleague, lawmaker Nadhim al-Asadi. Ahmed al-Asadi, who the documents say is accused of illicit enrichment, is the first relatively senior Coordination Framework figure to face prosecution as part of the government’s anti-corruption campaign. Reports said he fled to Australia, where he is also a citizen, several weeks ago. On August 11, Zaidi asked members of parliament’s Defense and Security Committee to help draft legislation establishing a legal framework for placing all weapons under state control. Meanwhile, Esmail Qaani, commander of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Quds Force, reportedly arrived in Baghdad to push the government and militia leaders toward a compromise that preserves the militias’ weapons and avoids armed conflict between the two sides. In other developments, on August 13, the head of Iraq’s Supreme Judicial Council, Judge Faeq Zaidan, visited Damascus for talks with Syrian Justice Minister Mzhar al-Wais that reportedly focused on “strengthening judicial and legal cooperation,” including efforts to combat terrorism, organized crime, and cross-border crime. more…
• SECURITY & HUMANITARIAN: Militias Postpone Retaliatory Strikes Against Saudi Arabia; Government Seizes Attack Drones; Zaidi Replaces More Senior Commanders – On August 7, militia groups operating under the umbrella of the “Islamic Resistance in Iraq” said they had postponed plans to carry out strikes against Saudi Arabia in retaliation for recent U.S.-Saudi strikes on Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF) bases. The announcement came after Badr Organization leader Hadi al-Amiri called on the militias to delay their response, stressing that diplomatic efforts were underway to address the incident. On August 9, Iraqi intelligence and Counter-Terrorism Service forces seized several one-way attack drones and arrested members of a cell that had been preparing to use them in attacks. Images from the operation in Babylon province appear to show about a dozen partially assembled drones, likely of the Iranian Shahed-107 type. Later that week, the Interior Ministry said its intelligence and counter-terrorism units had seized more than 20 locally manufactured drones and arrested four suspects accused of illegally selling drone components in two separate operations in Baghdad. On August 9, the Iraqi military issued orders to establish the Badiya Operations Command, which will be responsible for security in the vast desert region of al-Muthanna province, which stretches to the Saudi and Kuwaiti borders. Later in the week, sources said Prime Minister Zaidi appointed Major General Dhurgham al-Alwani as the new commander of the Iraqi Army’s 1st Division. Subsequent reports on August 13 said that Zaidi appointed Major General Hadi al-Kinani of the Counter-Terrorism Service as the new chief of the Baghdad Operations Command. The 2nd and 5th divisions of the Federal Police also had their commanders replaced this week. In other developments, on August 10, Iraq’s Interior Ministry said it had shut down 71 “fake” offices that falsely claimed to be affiliated with the PMF. On August 11, three soldiers were wounded when their vehicle struck an improvised explosive device in Kirkuk province. On August 11-12, reports from the Kurdistan region said that Iran fired five missiles and four drones targeting camps belonging to Iranian Kurdish opposition groups based in Iraqi Kurdistan. more…
• ECONOMY & CLIMATE: Iraq to Repair Old Pumping Stations to Fast-Track Oil Export Expansion Through Turkey – On August 11, Iraqi Oil Minister Basim Khudeir said that his ministry had awarded a contract to refurbish the PS-3 and K-3 pumping stations in Najaf and Haditha, respectively, as part of efforts to fast-track plans to move oil from the southern fields in Basra to the northern export pipeline toward Turkey. According to Khudeir, the plan calls for fleets of trucks to transport 300,000 barrels per day (bpd) of crude for injection into the pipeline network, while domestic pipelines would supply an additional 450,000 bpd to meet the 750,000 bpd export level that Iraq and Turkey recently agreed to sustain through the Iraq-Turkey Pipeline. Exports through Turkey currently average about 225,000 bpd. Khudeir did not explain how crude would move from Haditha north toward Kirkuk, where sections of the pipeline network sustained extensive damage during the war against ISIS. In other developments, on August 12, the director of Iraq’s Oil Marketing Company (SOMO), Ali Nizar, said that a trilateral agreement between the federal government, the Kurdistan Regional Government, and oil companies on exports from the Kurdistan region had been renewed for another year. The agreement, originally signed in September 2025, allowed oil exports from the Kurdistan region through Turkey to resume after a two-and-a-half-year halt. On August 10, Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi invited Prime Minister Zaidi to visit Tokyo for talks aimed at exploring new opportunities for economic cooperation and investment. 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: Iraq-Saudi Security Talks Focus on Drone Attacks; Anti-Corruption Campaign Targets First Significant Shia Figure; Zaidi Seeks Legislative Support for Militia Disarmament

On August 7, Saudi intelligence chief Khalid bin Ali al‑Humaidan arrived in Baghdad for talks with Prime Minister Ali al‑Zaidi. A statement from Zaidi’s office said Humaidan renewed the Saudi leadership’s invitation for Zaidi to visit Riyadh. The renewed invitation comes after Zaidi canceled an earlier planned visit amid an escalation that included attacks by Iran‑backed Iraqi militias on Saudi Arabia and subsequent U.S.–Saudi retaliatory strikes on militia targets inside Iraq. Zaidi emphasized Baghdad’s interest in strengthening relations with Riyadh and reiterated that his government does not want Iraqi territory to be used for attacks against any neighboring country. The statement added that both sides agreed to continue their security cooperation and intelligence sharing to improve their ability to address emerging challenges and take appropriate measures within established legal frameworks to prevent further escalation. The high‑level security engagement continued on Thursday when a delegation of senior Iraqi intelligence and security officials arrived in Riyadh for meetings with Saudi counterparts. The talks are expected to focus on the drone strikes launched from Iraq toward Saudi Arabia, intelligence sharing, and measures to prevent similar attacks in the future. The delegation includes Abdulameer al‑Shamari, director of the Office of the Commander‑in‑Chief; intelligence chief Hameed al‑Shatri; air defense commander Muhannad al‑Asadi; and Counter‑Terrorism Service commander Zaid Hoshi.

On August 8, Prime Minister Zaidi held a phone call with French President Emmanuel Macron to discuss bilateral relations and ways to strengthen cooperation across economic, investment, and regional security domains, his office said in a statement. During the call, the two leaders reviewed opportunities for French companies in Iraq and exchanged views on regional developments and ongoing efforts to reduce tensions. Zaidi invited Macron to visit Iraq and emphasized that the government is working to position Iraq as an influential economic and political actor in the region, citing the country’s resources and strategic location. Zaidi also stressed that September 30 remains the final deadline for the withdrawal of Coalition forces from Iraq, saying that the end of the Coalition’s mission will allow the government to focus more fully on reconstruction, economic growth, and improving living conditions for the Iraqi population.

On August 8, security sources said that authorities arrested former Salah ad-Din Governor Ahmed Abdullah al-Jubouri (aka Abu Mazin) in Baghdad on corruption charges. The sources did not provide details about the specific charges. Jubouri, a former member of parliament, has faced various corruption allegations in recent years. In 2024, Jubouri’s confirmation as governor for a non-consecutive second term was blocked by then President Abdullatif Rashid on allegations of prior convictions for larceny and corruption. Most recently, in March, an Iraqi court also issued an arrest warrant for Jubouri over allegations that he threatened Muthanna al-Samarraie, a rival Sunni politician and former leader of the Azm Coalition who is now imprisoned. In another anti-corruption development, court documents circulating online showed that the Central Anti-Corruption Criminal Court had issued an arrest warrant for lawmaker Ahmed al-Asadi, and asked parliament to lift the immunity of lawmaker Nadhim al-Asadi, both members of the Sumariyoun bloc. Ahmed al-Asadi, who served as labor minister in the previous government, is accused of illicit enrichment, although the documents provided no further details. Asadi is the most senior Coordination Framework-affiliated figure to face prosecution as part of the government’s anti-corruption campaign. Reports said he fled to Australia several weeks ago; he is an Iraqi-Australian dual citizen. His bloc confirmed the arrest warrant, while defending him and saying he was prepared to appear in court to contest the charges.

On August 11, Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi asked lawmakers to help draft legislation establishing a legal framework for placing all weapons under state control, according to a statement from Zaidi’s office. Speaking to members of parliament’s Defense and Security Committee, Zaidi described uncontrolled weapons as “the greatest danger to the state,” saying they undermine the rule of law and formal security institutions. The announcement comes amid intensifying debate over how to contain Iran-backed militias and bring their weapons under government control. On August 10, Huqooq bloc lawmaker Miqdad al-Khafaji, whose bloc represents Kataib Hezbollah, said militia weapons “protect the state” and argued that there was no “military or security” solution to the issue. He added that the government and militias remain engaged in negotiations over the future of the groups’ weapons. On August 12, multiple reports said Esmail Qaani, commander of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Quds Force, arrived in Baghdad Tuesday night to discuss the standoff with Iraqi political and militia leaders. Sources close to the talks said Qaani is pressing the sides to reach a compromise. According to the sources, Qaani opposes the militias surrendering their weapons but has also warned them against confronting the government militarily if it moves to disarm them. Some reports said his visit was specifically aimed at dissuading Zaidi from deploying Counter-Terrorism Service forces to Jurf al-Sakhr, where Iran-backed militias maintain important military bases. Meanwhile, a senior figure in Kataib al-Imam Ali, one of the few militias to express willingness to place its weapons under government control, outlined the group’s preferred model for the process. The deputy commander of the Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF) Brigade 40 said there is no “handing over” of weapons, but rather their return to the custody of the Popular Mobilization Commission and the full integration of armed factions into the commission. Under this model, he said, the factions would operate within the PMF’s formal structure and ultimately under state authority. Relatedly, informed sources told al-Mada that describing the process as “disarmament” would be inaccurate. Instead, they said, the process could involve “storing the factions’ weapons,” with weapons transferred exclusively to PMF Commission storage facilities and catalogued by type and faction, ostensibly for possible retrieval at a later date.

On August 13, the head of Iraq’s Supreme Judicial Council, Judge Faeq Zaidan, visited Damascus, where he was received at the airport by Syrian Justice Minister Mzhar al-Wais. According to the Syrian state news agency, the talks focused on “strengthening judicial and legal cooperation,” including efforts to combat terrorism, organized crime, and cross-border crime. Zaidan is the most senior Iraqi official to visit Damascus since Foreign Minister Fuad Hussein’s trip in June. Analysts also viewed the visit as a sign of growing openness among key Iraqi Shia leaders toward building relations with Syria’s post-Assad government.

Sources cited in this section include: INA, al-Ghad, ISHM archive, Iraqi PM’s office, al-Mada, Baghdad Today, Ultra Iraq, Shafaq, Title News, al-Sumaria, al-Hurra, Rudaw, al-Aalem al-Jadeed, Sana, social media.

SECURITY & HUMANITARIAN: Militias Postpone Retaliatory Strikes Against Saudi Arabia; Government Seizes Attack Drones; Zaidi Replaces More Senior Commanders

On August 7, militia groups operating under the umbrella of the “Islamic Resistance in Iraq” announced that they were postponing plans to carry out a military response against Saudi Arabia in retaliation for recent U.S.-Saudi strikes on Popular Mobilization Forces sites. In a statement, the factions said that “in response to the call of the Secretary-General of the Badr Organization, Hadi al-Amiri, and in consideration of the honorable positions taken by some patriotic political leaders,” they had decided to postpone the planned response. Earlier on Friday, Badr Organization leader Hadi al-Amiri had called on the militias to delay their military response to the Saudi strikes, which killed more than 20 PMF personnel, stressing that diplomatic efforts were underway to address the incident. Sources told Shafaq that al-Amiri held a meeting with Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi early Friday amid heightened security tensions. The two reportedly discussed threats by armed factions to retaliate against Saudi Arabia and measures the government was preparing to take against armed groups accused of carrying out cross-border attacks. According to the sources, the meeting concluded with an understanding to “postpone the government’s security measures against the factions in exchange for halting any military action toward Saudi Arabia” and giving the government an opportunity to address the crisis through diplomatic channels.

On August 9, an Iraqi government spokesman said that intelligence agents and Counter‑Terrorism Service forces successfully infiltrated an attack‑drone cell and arrested its members. He added that government forces seized several one‑way attack drones the cell had been preparing to use against unspecified targets. Images from the operation, which took place in Babylon province, appear to show about a dozen crates containing partially assembled drones, likely of the Iranian Shahed‑107 type. A report by al‑Hurra, citing a senior Iraqi security official, said this operation — along with a similar one in late July — is part of a government plan to take preemptive action against certain militias that refuse to relinquish unauthorized weapons. In a related development on Wednesday, the Interior Ministry said its intelligence and counter-terrorism units seized more than 20 locally manufactured drones and arrested four suspects of illegally selling drone components in two separate operations in the Iraqi capital. Authorities did not reveal the identities or affiliations of those arrested in either operation.

On August 10, Iraq’s Interior Ministry said it had shut down 71 “fake” offices that falsely claimed to be affiliated with the PMF. A ministry spokesman said the closures were part of ongoing efforts by the special committee overseeing the process of bringing all weapons under state control. The spokesman did not provide details on when the offices were closed, their geographic distribution, or whether security forces had arrested any of their operators.

On August 11, Iraq’s Defense Ministry said that three soldiers were wounded when an improvised explosive device (IED) detonated near their vehicle in the Wadi al-Shay area of Kirkuk province. The soldiers, all members of the army’s 44th Brigade, 11th Division, were conducting search operations at the site of an earlier airstrike targeting a series of eight suspected ISIS positions in the area.

On August 11, the Kurdistan Toilers’ Party, an Iranian Kurdish opposition group based in Iraqi Kurdistan, said that three missiles fired by Iran targeted its camp in the Alana region, northeast of Erbil. Two residents of the camp were wounded in the attack, according to a spokesman for the group. On the following day, another Iranian Kurdish opposition group, the Kurdistan Democratic Party of Iran (KDP-I), said that two missiles launched from Iran targeted its camps in the Balisan region, northeast of Erbil. The attack did not result in casualties. Meanwhile, four one-way attack drones struck in the Harir, Khalifan, and central Soran regions, all northeast of Erbil. One of the drones damaged a civilian residence, but there were no reports of casualties, Kurdistan24 reported. 

On August 12, local sources in Dhi-Qar province said that two people were killed and a third was wounded during armed clashes between two tribes in al-Fuhoud district, east of Nasiriyah. The clashes, which involved automatic weapons, reportedly began following a road traffic accident.

On August 9, senior security sources told INA that the Iraqi military has issued orders to establish a new regional command in southern Iraq. The Badiya Operations Command will be responsible for security in the Badiya (desert) region of al‑Muthanna province, which spans large stretches of territory extending from the Euphrates River to the Saudi and Kuwaiti borders. A few days later, on August 11, security sources in Diyala said that Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi appointed Major General Dhurgham al-Alwani as the new commander of the Iraqi Army’s 1st Division. The outgoing commander, Major General Ayad Iyada, was reassigned as deputy chief of the Diyala Operations Command, the sources added. More command changes followed on Thursday. Reports said that Brigadier General Murtadha Abdulkareem will replace Major General Jafar al-Sudani as commander of the 5th Division, Federal Police, and that Major General Fadhil al-Khazraji will replace Major General Hisham al-Temimi as commander of the 2nd Division, Federal Police. Finally, INA reported that Prime Minister Zaidi appointed Major General Hadi al-Kinani of the Counter-Terrorism Service as the new chief of the Baghdad Operations Command, replacing Major General Waleed al-Temimi. 

On August 11, the Salah ad-Din police said that an explosive remnant of war accidentally detonated while a farmer was burning brush on his land. The explosion killed a civilian and wounded another, a spokesman for the provincial police force added.

Sources cited in this section include: al-Sumaria, ISHM archive, Shafaq, social media, Baghdad Today, al-Hurra, Bas News, INA, al-Mirbad, Iraq Observer, Rudaw, Kurdistan24.

ECONOMY & CLIMATE: Iraq to Repair Old Pumping Stations to Fast-Track Oil Export Expansion Through Turkey

On August 10, Japanese Ambassador Akira Endo met with Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi to deliver an official invitation from Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi for a visit to Tokyo, according to a statement from Zaidi’s office. The statement said Japan hopes the visit, for which no date has been set, will create new opportunities for economic cooperation and investment.

On August 11, Iraqi Oil Minister Basim Khudeir said that his ministry had awarded a contract to refurbish the PS-3 and K-3 pumping stations in Najaf and Haditha, respectively, as part of efforts to fast-track plans to move oil from the southern fields in Basra to the northern export pipeline toward Turkey. According to Khudeir, the plan calls for fleets of trucks to transport 300,000 barrels per day (bpd) of crude for injection into the pipeline network, while domestic pipelines would supply an additional 450,000 bpd to meet the 750,000 bpd export level that Iraq and Turkey recently agreed to sustain through the Iraq-Turkey Pipeline. Exports through Turkey currently average about 225,000 bpd. Khudeir did not explain how crude would move from Haditha north toward Kirkuk, where sections of the pipeline network sustained extensive damage during the war against ISIS. 

On August 12, the director of Iraq’s Oil Marketing Company (SOMO), Ali Nizar, said that a trilateral agreement between the federal government, the Kurdistan Regional Government, and oil companies on exports from the Kurdistan region had been renewed for another year. The agreement, originally signed in September 2025, allowed oil exports from the Kurdistan region through Turkey to resume after a two-and-a-half-year halt. Nizar said the renewal would help Baghdad meet its obligations under a recent agreement with Ankara to increase exports through the Iraq-Turkey Pipeline to 750,000 barrels per day (bpd).

Sources cited in this section include: al-Sumaria, New Sabah, ISHM archive, Rudaw.

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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