Shafaq News- Baghdad

Baghdad Operations Command shut down two unlicensed factories, dismantled eight metal-smelting sites, and arrested six operators in eastern Baghdad on Wednesday.

The facilities in Sabaa Qusour were targeted for regulatory and environmental violations involving harmful emissions and odors.

Residents, who spoke to Shafaq News, have reported sulfur-like odors in recent days, with some in southern Baghdad linking them to waste burning in Al-Nahrawan and near Al-Rashid Camp. The Green Iraq Observatory warned that the foul smells could persist across the capital, pointing to sources that remain inadequately addressed.

Switzerland-based air quality monitoring platform IQAir ranked Iraq as the world’s second most polluted country by the end of 2025, citing poor air quality and waste management among the country's environmental problems.

Read more: The cost of filth: Iraq among the world’s most polluted nations