Khor Abdullah ruling: Mass resignations reported at Iraq’s top court

Shafaq News/ Six members of Iraq’s Federal Supreme Court submitted their resignations on Thursday in protest over alleged government pressure related to the court’s ruling on the Khor Abdullah maritime agreement with Kuwait.

A source from within the court told Shafaq News Agency that the resignations were linked to political interference surrounding the case.

The dispute stems from a September 2023 ruling in which the Federal Supreme Court annulled Law No. 42 of 2013, which ratified the agreement between Iraq and Kuwait on regulating navigation in Khor Abdullah. The court cited a constitutional violation, stating the law was passed without the required two-thirds majority in parliament, as outlined in Article 61(4) of the Iraqi Constitution.

In April 2025, Iraq’s president and prime minister each filed appeals requesting the court to reverse its decision, arguing the agreement was related to navigation, not border demarcation, and forms part of Iraq’s international commitments under the 1966 Vienna Convention.