Shafaq News- Baghdad

Iraq’s Security Media Cell chief, Lieutenant General Saad Maan, on Tuesday denied any conflict between the regulations and instructions issued by the Office of the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces and the Interior Ministry regarding officer promotions.

Maan explained that the directive issued by the commander-in-chief’s office predated the order issued by the interior minister, stressing that the instructions from the two bodies did not conflict.

He added that both institutions were working to safeguard officers’ interests and ensure they received their entitlements.

Maan also urged officers and other interested parties to follow official media channels for accurate information.

Earlier in the day, Ali al-Azirjawi, a lawmaker from the State of Law bloc, headed by Nouri al-Maliki, said Parliament Speaker Haibet al-Halbousi had intervened in the dispute over promotions for Interior Ministry officers.

The development followed a Shafaq News report describing a “tug-of-war over authority” between Interior Minister Yasser Sukhail al-Maliki and the commander-in-chief’s office over the rules governing officer promotions.

Shafaq News had previously reported conflicting instructions after al-Maliki issued a directive on October 20, 2026, easing promotion requirements in certain cases by removing the requirement for officers to hold specific posts.

Read more:Exclusive: PM order clashes with Iraq interior minister on promotions

A letter issued the following day by Lieutenant General Abdul Amir al-Shammari, head of the commander-in-chief’s office, reinstated the requirement that officers occupy designated positions to qualify for promotion to higher ranks.

The dispute centers on whether holding a specific post is a prerequisite for promotion. Iraq’s amended Internal Security Forces Service and Retirement Law No. 18 of 2011 stipulates that officer promotions must be proposed by the interior minister and approved by the prime minister.