Shafaq News-Baghdad

Iraq'sparliamentary Security and Defense Committee has asked Prime Minister Alial-Zaidi to add a provision to the federal budget for the purchase of airdefense systems, a committee member said Monday.

Karim Alaywial-Muhammadawi told Shafaq News that the panel, during a meeting with al-Zaidi,asked him to allocate funds to the Defense Ministry within the budget law tobuy advanced air defense systems from South Korea, China, and Russia. “Thecommittee pressed for the country not to rely on a single supplier for itsweapons.”

The Securityand Defense Committee has earlier called for separating the air defense and airforce budget from the conventional Defense Ministry budget, arguing that asustained funding stream is needed to build an integrated deterrent.

Read more: Iraq's air defense void: How US vetoes and Russian limits leave Baghdad exposed

Read more: How the Iran–US–Israel war exposes Iraq’s defense paralysis

Shafaq News- Baghdad

The Iraqi government is moving ahead with plans tostrengthen security and stability, reduce regional tensions, and place weaponsunder state control, Iraqi National Security Adviser Qassem Al-Aboudi told USchargé d’affaires in Baghdad Joshua Harris on Monday.

In a statement issued by his office, Al-Aboudi said PrimeMinister Ali al-Zaidi is seeking to build national institutions capable ofmaking independent decisions, launch comprehensive development efforts, andestablish a strong economy capable of meeting the government’s objectives.

The meeting also covered the latest regional developmentsand ways to strengthen cooperation between Iraq and the United States,particularly in counterterrorism and the exchange of information and expertise,according to the statement.

Harris reaffirmed US support for the Iraqigovernment and its plans to strengthen national sovereignty and promotesecurity and stability in Iraq and across the region.

Shafaq News-Baghdad

Iraq's Stateof Law coalition, led by Nouri Al-Maliki, has settled on Lieutenant GeneralMohammed al-Sultani as its candidate for interior minister, an informed sourcetold Shafaq News on Thursday.

Othmanal-Shaibani, a member of parliament for the coalition, said State of Law hadsent the names of its candidates for the interior and higher educationministries to Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi, ahead of a decision on the twoministers in the coming days.

Earlier, the director of the coalition’s media office, HishamAl-Rikabi, dismissed reports that State of Law had agreed to give up the InteriorMinistry portfolio.

The twoministries are among the posts left vacant when the government was formed. OnMay 14, Iraq's Council of Representatives approved al-Zaidi's government and its program, confirming 14 of 23 ministers. Nineportfolios were left unfilled amid disputes over names and quota shares, amongthem interior, defense, higher education, and planning.

Read more: State of Law names candidates for Iraq’s vacant ministries

Read more: Al-Zaidi at 100 days: Iraq's toughest tests still ahead

ShafaqNews- Baghdad

Iraqwill declare full sovereignty over its territory on Sept. 30, Prime MinisterAli al-Zaidi said on Monday, urging Iraqis to preserve civil peace, strengthensocial cohesion and uphold the rule of law.

Speakingat a ceremony organized by the Sunni Endowment to mark the birth of ProphetMuhammad, al-Zaidi said his government’s goal is to build a “free Iraq” thatcan provide security, dignity and stability for its people.

“ProtectingIraq, its natural resources and the future of coming generations requirescooperation among all Iraqis,” he added, noting that his program also focuseson rebuilding state institutions, combating corruption and creating conditionsfor productive economic activity.

Theruling State Administration Coalition (SAC) has previously set Sept. 30 as thedeadline for ending armed activity outside official institutions, withviolations afterward subject to legal action.

Zuhairal-Chalabi of the State of Law Coalition, however, told Shafaq News thatefforts to bring weapons under state control remain unresolved, with no firmdeadline in place.

Read more: Al-Zaidi at 100 days: Iraq's toughest tests still ahead

Shafaq News- Baghdad

Iraq and Libya have resolved longstanding issues involving properties belonging to each country in Baghdad and Tripoli, Iraqi Foreign Minister Fuad Hussein said on Sunday during talks with Libya’s acting Foreign Minister Al-Taher Salem Al-Baour.

Hussein welcomed Libya’s completion of procedures concerning Iraqi-owned properties in Tripoli, saying that Baghdad had completed procedures involving two properties belonging to the Libyan Embassy in the Iraqi capital. Neither side provided further details on the properties or the issues that had delayed their resolution.

The development came as Al-Baour held a series of meetings in Baghdad, including talks with Prime Minister Ali Falih al-Zaidi.

During the meeting, Al-Baour delivered a message from Libyan Prime Minister Abdul Hamid Dbeibah inviting al-Zaidi to visit Libya and calling for closer bilateral ties.

Shafaq News- Baghdad

Shiite political leaders have agreed to seek passage of thePopular Mobilization Forces (PMF) Service and Retirement draft law before the end ofSeptember, alongside arrangements for handling weapons held by armed factions,a Coordination Framework (CF) source told Shafaq News on Sunday.

The CF leaders agreed to quickly finalize the revisions to thelegislation and send it to parliament under the standard legislative process.The Framework also instructed the team reviewing the bill to accelerate itswork ahead of the September 30 deadline for the Global Coalition’s militarymission in Iraq to end.

The Service and Retirement draft law was approved by former PrimeMinister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani’s government in 2025 and referred toparliament, but was later withdrawn amid disputes over its provisions.

The proposed amendments address ranks and careerprogression, benefits for the families of members killed in service and forwounded personnel, and provisions for members who have exceeded the legalretirement age, including the PMF chairman. They also cover the force’s structure, the number andleadership of its brigades, and the status of volunteers who joined the PMFduring the fight against ISIS that began in 2014 despite being below the legalage at the time, the source said.

The source said the bill would soon be referred toparliament’s Security and Defense and Legal committees for review before beingpresented again for reading and a vote.

Read more: Iraq's PMF Service and Retirement Law: Is political exploitation inevitable?

Weapons Arrangements

On weapons held by armed factions, the source said apolitical understanding calls for factions to hand over their weapons to PMFstorage facilities rather than those of other security agencies.Representatives of the Interior and Defense ministries or the Counter-TerrorismService may oversee the process.

He said the arrangement falls under what political leadersdescribe as “managing the factions’ weapons,” with the process coordinated withthe Iraqi government. Transfers to PMF facilities would begin only after theGlobal Coalition completes its withdrawal and the Service and Retirement bill ispassed. “Any discussion of different measures before those two conditions aremet is merely an attempt to disrupt the existing understandings.”

Earlier on Sunday, State of Law Coalition member Zuhairal-Chalabi told Shafaq News that efforts to bring weapons under state controlremained unresolved and that September 30 was not a firm deadline.

The issue remains particularly sensitive ahead of September30, a deadline the government and major political forces have set for bringingweapons under state control. The date also coincides with the scheduled end ofthe Global Coalition’s military mission in Iraq, which some factions have citedin linking the future of their weapons to the withdrawal of foreign forces.

Read more: Days to disarm Iraq's factions: deadline or negotiable ceiling?

Shafaq News- Baghdad

Iraq’s efforts to bring weapons under state control remainunresolved, and September 30 is not a firm deadline, State of Law Coalitionmember Zuhair Al-Chalabi told Shafaq News on Sunday.

The issue could be addressed differently after US andTurkish forces withdraw from Iraq, including those stationed at the Zilkan campin Nineveh province, and no foreign forces remain in the country, according toAl-Chalabi.

He added that the current focus is on submitting the PopularMobilization Forces Service and Retirement draft law to parliament for approval,arguing that “passing the legislation would pose a major challenge toWashington.”

Al-Chalabi accused the US chargé d’affaires of previouslyexerting pressure to influence the legislative process and force the bill’swithdrawal from parliament.

Read more: Scoop: Iraqi Shiite leaders propose ‘weapons management’ compromise

Last week, a source within the Coordination Framework (CF)told Shafaq News that prominent Shiite leaders had presented armed factionswith proposals aimed at easing tensions between the factions and Prime MinisterAli Al-Zaidi.

The proposals included replacing “disarmament” with “weaponsmanagement,” placing weapons use under the authority of the commander-in-chiefof the armed forces, and separating the withdrawal of US troops from the startof measures to bring weapons under state control.

The Iraqi government, however, reiterated on Friday thatSeptember 30 remains the deadline for bringing weapons under state control,saying armed factions had been informed of the date and the proposedmechanisms.

Shafaq News- Baghdad

Iraq’s Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF) Service and Retirement draft law will reach parliament this week, lawmaker Dhia Al-Zaidi said on Sunday.

Read more: Iraq's PMF Service and Retirement Law: Is political exploitation inevitable?

During a news conference at parliament, Al-Zaidi, a member of former premier Mohammed Al-Sudani’s Reconstruction and Development Coalition, called on armed factions outside the PMF, a state security institution under government authority, to surrender their weapons and “come under state authority.”

The legislation is returning after an earlier version stalled over a dispute concerning the tenure of the PMF Commission chairman. On August 22, First Deputy Speaker Adnan Fayhan explained that extending the chairman’s service conflicted with retirement regulations and was the sole unresolved issue behind the draft’s withdrawal.

The existing PMF Authority law, approved in 2016, gives the force legal status but does not fully regulate personnel, service, retirement, or administration. A draft approved by Al-Sudani’s government in February 2025 was referred to parliament but later stalled amid political disputes.

Prime Minister Ali Al-Zaidi has pledged to move ahead with the legislation. The State Administration Coalition, Iraq’s main ruling Shia, Sunni, and Kurdish political alliance, has set September 30 as the deadline for bringing weapons under state control, warning that armed activity outside official institutions after that date would fall under Iraq’s Anti-Terrorism Law.

Read more: Days to disarm Iraq's factions: deadline or negotiable ceiling?

Shafaq News- Baghdad

Weapons held by armed factions should be transferred to thePopular Mobilization Forces (PMF), Ammar al-Hakim, head of Iraq’s NationalState Forces Alliance, said on Sunday, reaffirming his support for placingall weapons under state control.

In a statement issued by his media office following ameeting in Baghdad with Joshua Harris, the US chargé d’affaires in Iraq,al-Hakim said armed factions had contributed to the fight against ISIS, withthousands of their members killed in efforts to liberate territory and restore stability.

They also discussed ways to strengthen bilateral ties.

Read more: Days to disarm Iraq's factions: deadline or negotiable ceiling?

Shafaq News- Baghdad

State of Law Coalition leader Nouri Al-Maliki has notreached any agreement to give up the Interior Ministry portfolio, the director of hismedia office said on Thursday.

Read more: State of Law names candidates for Iraq’s vacant ministries

"Media reports claiming Al-Maliki had agreed to relinquishthe ministry were not based on accurate information,” Hisham Al-Rikabi said.

تنويه …لا صحة لما تداولته بعض وسائل الإعلام بشأن وجود تفاهمات أو اتفاقات تتعلق بتنازل السيد نوري #المالكي عن وزارة #الداخلية.ونؤكد أن هذا الموضوع غير مطروح أساساً، وما يُتداول بهذا الشأن لا يستند إلى أي معلومات صحيحة.

— هشام الركابي (@HushamHamad) August 22, 2026

Parliament approved Al-Zaidi’s government and program on May14, endorsing 14 ministers while leaving nine posts unfilled amid disputes overtheir allocation. Political blocs have since held talks over the outstandingnominations, with a source telling Shafaq News earlier this month that thecabinet could be completed in September.

A source told Shafaq News that Prime Minister Ali Al-Zaidistill intends to oversee the Defense and Interior ministries in an actingcapacity because he is satisfied with their current leadership.

Earlier today, Iraqi President Nizar Amedi said “only two orthree ministerial posts had yet to be filled.” Speaking at the eighth BaghdadInternational Dialogue Conference, Amedi said he expected the remainingpositions to be filled soon, saying political forces were seeking to completethe cabinet amid difficult regional conditions.

Read more: Al-Zaidi named Iraq's prime minister: Easy nomination, harder road ahead

Shafaq News- Baghdad

Iraqi Supreme Islamic Council head Humam Hamoudi warned on Saturday of an effort to ignite an “intra-Shiite war” aimed at weakening Shiite political and social influence and removing influential forces from positions of power.

Speaking at the eighth International Baghdad Dialogue Conference, Hamoudi, a senior figure in the ruling Coordination Framework (CF), said such efforts may be presented publicly as serving the broader interest but “were intended to destabilize Shiite influence.”

Read more: Iraq's Coordination Framework is weakening, but no rival is ready to replace it

He argued that Iraq’s senior Shiite religious authority*, religious commitment and public awareness would prevent such a conflict from taking hold, saying, “They will not succeed.”

Hamoudi also rejected the notion of “Shiite rule” in Iraq, saying the government is a consensual coalition involving parties from across the political spectrum.

*Thereligious authority, known as the Marja'iya, holds immense moral sway overmillions of Shia.

Shafaq News- Baghdad

Iraqi President Nizar Amedi said Saturday that only the state shouldhold weapons, and that this must be pursued responsibly, without foreigninterference or armed confrontation.

Speaking on a panel at the eighth Baghdad International Dialogue, Amedi said the driveto bring weapons under state control has the backing of the constitution, theShiite religious authority in Najaf, Iraq's political blocs and the public.

Read more: Days to disarm Iraq's factions: deadline or negotiable ceiling?

The government has stepped up efforts to curb the influence ofIran-aligned factions. One of them, Kataib Hezbollah, has set three conditionsfor any deal with Baghdad over its weapons: ending the US influence over Iraq'spolitical and economic decision-making, the withdrawal of Turkish forces fromnorthern Iraq, and the dissolution of the Peshmerga, the Kurdistan Region'sofficial security forces.

Amedi stressed that the Peshmerga are a regular force on par with theIraqi army and a legitimate national institution central to the country'sdefense, and are not part of the current weapons-control effort.

Read more: What happens to Iraq's armed factions after September 30?

Shafaq News- Baghdad

A dispute over extending the tenure of the Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF) Commission chairman was the sole issue that blocked passage of the PMF Service and Retirement bill and led to its withdrawal from parliament, Iraqi Parliament First Deputy Speaker Adnan Fayhan said on Saturday.

Speaking at the eighth Baghdad Dialogue conference, Fayhan said the proposed extension conflicted with regulations and instructions governing retirement.

He said the existing PMF draft law provides the force with a legal framework but leaves key issues concerning personnel and its administrative structure unresolved, prompting the proposed service and retirement legislation.

Fayhan said an earlier version of the legislation had been expected to pass during former Prime Minister Adel Abdul-Mahdi’s government but was postponed. The current draft was approved by the government of former Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani in February 2025 and referred to parliament, where disputes over retirement provisions later stalled its passage.

Read more: Iraq's PMF Service and Retirement Law: Is political exploitation inevitable?

"Some brigades and regiments within the PMF had been established for electoral purposes,” he continued, contrasting this with the Interior and Defense ministries, where he said no comparable formations had been created for political or electoral purposes.

He added that an agreement had been reached with Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi to send the legislation back to parliament.

Fayhan placed the law within the broader debate over bringing weapons under state control, also citing the withdrawal of foreign forces and stronger Iraqi air defenses among related demands.

“The dispute is not personal,” Fayhan said, describing the objective as restoring the institution’s standing and ensuring it is properly administered.

A new draft of the PMF Service and Retirement Law is expected to reach parliament within 10 days, he added.

Shafaq News- Baghdad

Iraqi Parliament First Deputy Speaker Adnan Feyhan stated on Saturday that senior officials had received confirmed information about impending US-Saudi strikes on Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF) sites “six hours” before the July 29 attacks, raising questions over “why personnel were not evacuated earlier.”

Speaking at the eighth Baghdad Dialogue conference, Fayhan said Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi, who had just returned from Turkiye, held a meeting at Baghdad airport with his office director, the director of the commander-in-chief’s office and PMF Commission Chairman Falih al-Fayyadh after receiving information that PMF positions would be targeted.

“The simplest measure should have been to notify the units and evacuate the sites immediately.” According to Fayhan, an evacuation order was issued only after a PMF site in Basra had already been struck.

He ordered the formation of a parliamentary fact-finding committee and the summoning of officials involved to establish why the units were not warned earlier. “This is not political targeting. We want to know the truth.”

US Central Command (CENTCOM) said on July 29 that US and Saudi forces had carried out coordinated strikes on sites belonging to Iran-backed armed groups that it accused of attacks on US forces and Saudi energy infrastructure.

The PMF Commission said the strikes killed at least 20 PMF members and wounded 32.

Read more: Wednesday's US-Saudi attack on Iraq: What Is Known

Shafaq News- Baghdad

Only two or three ministerial posts remain unresolvedin Iraq’s government, with political forces already reaching agreement on someof the outstanding portfolios, President Nizar Amedi announced on Saturday.

Speaking at the eighth Baghdad International DialogueConference, Amedi expected the remaining posts to be filled soon but gave nodeadline. “Political forces are keen to complete the cabinet, particularly aswe are going through a difficult and dangerous period in the region,” he noted,warning that “the failure of this government means the failure of everyone inIraq.”

Parliament approved Prime Minister Ali Al-Zaidi’sgovernment and program on May 14, granting confidence to 14 ministers whilepostponing votes on nine posts amid disagreements over their allocation.Political blocs have since been negotiating the remaining nominations, with asource telling Shafaq News this month that the Cabinet could be completed inSeptember.

Amedi also cautioned that the US-Iran war wouldincrease economic pressure on Iraq because of its dependence on oil andcommercial ties with Tehran, adding that he raised concerns over disruptions inthe Strait of Hormuz and their impact on crude exports and public-sectorsalaries during Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf’s recentvisit to Baghdad.

Read more: No exit but Hormuz: Iraq's economic vulnerability exposed

The president confirmed that the US-led Coalition’smission in Iraq will end on Sept. 30 and rejected the use of Iraqi territoryfor attacks on Gulf states.

Shafaq News- Baghdad

The withdrawal of foreign forces from Iraq is “a veryimportant and essential step,” Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad BagherGhalibaf stated on Friday.

Speaking at a press conference at the end of a three-dayvisit to Iraq by an Iranian parliamentary delegation, Ghalibaf affirmed that “Iransupports any agreement reached among Iraqi armed factions and officials within theframework of their constitution while preserving their independence,sovereignty and governance.”

Earlier, Ghalibaf said Iraqi "resistance"—the Iran-aligned armed factions—had become a key source of nationalstrength and that its influence extended beyond Iraq's borders.

He said that talks with senior Iraqi officials were “friendly and brotherly,” stressing that“we never interfere in Iraq’s internal affairs.”

Ghalibaf described the visit as “successful and productive”across economic, social, cultural, political, and security fields, particularlygiven the “sensitive circumstances” the region is currently facing.

The Iranian official added that discussions had coveredeconomic issues and that a meeting would be held within the next two weeks. Adelegation from the chamber of commerce, along with Iraqi counterparts, willtravel to Tehran to develop a comprehensive and practical action plan foreconomic cooperation across various sectors.

Read more: Two powers, one grid: The geopolitical siege of Iraq’s economy

Shafaq News- Baghdad

Iraq’s drive to bring all weapons under state control is a domestic issue with no foreign involvement, Parliament Speaker Haibet al-Halbousi said Friday.

Speaking at the eighth Baghdad Dialogue conference, organized by the Iraqi Institute for Dialogue, al-Halbousi pointed to broad political agreement on the principle, including among the heads of the country’s four top state authorities and leaders of the main political blocs.

Iraq’s ruling State Administration Coalition (SAC) previously set September 30 as the deadline for ending armed activity outside state institutions, with violations afterward subject to legal action.

Asaib Ahl al-Haq, one of Iraq’s most powerful Iran-aligned armed factions, recently handed over weapons from a base south of Baghdad to state authorities.

Read more: Iraq's September deadline undercuts armed factions' case for weapons

Al-Halbousi also addressed Jurf al-Sakhar, known as Jurf al-Nasr, a strategically located area in Babil province that has remained largely inaccessible to about 100,000 people displaced since it was retaken from the Islamic State in 2014.

“The government has ordered a security committee to review the status of displaced people,” al-Halbousi noted, adding that its work would cover all disputed areas rather than focus solely on Jurf al-Sakhar.

The committee will also examine the status of property owners in the district and determine the appropriate course of action.

Read more: Jurf al-Sakhr and Iraq's push to disarm factions

Shafaq News- Baghdad

The Iraqi government on Friday reaffirmed September 30 asthe deadline for bringing weapons under state control, saying it had informedarmed factions of the date and the mechanisms for addressing the issue.

In press remarks, government spokesman Haider Al-Aboudinoted that talks with the factions are making progress “based on the principlesof state sovereignty and the interests of the Iraqi people.”

He explained that the government is addressing the issuethrough dialogue and understanding “in a way that preserves state sovereigntyand prevents any internal confrontation in Iraq.”

Al-Aboudi confirmed that six armed factions are involved intalks with the government over bringing weapons under state control. Some haveresponded positively to the government's proposals, while talks continue withothers over arrangements intended to protect both their interests and those ofthe state.

He stressed that Iraq and its institutions are “above anyinternal confrontation or conflict,” and the government's priorities includepreserving economic, political, and security stability and continuing effortsto combat corruption.

Read more: Iraq's September deadline undercuts armed factions' case for weapons

Sources familiar with the armed factions’ internaldeliberations told Shafaq News that Asaib Ahl Al-Haq had handed over weaponsfrom a base south of Baghdad to state authorities two days earlier.

Shiite political leaders are exploring a compromise over theweapons issue. A Coordination Framework source previously told Shafaq News thatthe proposal would give Prime Minister Ali Al-Zaidi, as commander-in-chief,authority over any use of their weapons.

Badr Organization leader Hadi Al-Amiri and Al-Hikma Movementleader Ammar Al-Hakim are leading talks with the factions aimed at avoiding aconfrontation with the government.

* Asaib AhlAl-Haq operates Brigades 41, 42, and 43 within the PMF, the state-sanctionedparamilitary umbrella incorporated into Iraq’s security apparatus after its2014 mobilization against ISIS. The group is represented in Parliament throughthe Sadiqoon bloc and was designated by the United States as a ForeignTerrorist Organization in 2020.

Read more: Iraq's disarmament deadline pits Baghdad against Iran-aligned factions

Shafaq News- Kirkuk/ Ankara

Iraq and Turkiye have agreed to defer settlement of a $1.471 billion arbitration award against Ankara, with payment through Iraqi crude exports also under consideration, Kirkuk Governor Mohammed Samaan Agha told Shafaq News on Friday.

Agha said he proposed either postponing settlement or offsetting the amount with barrels exported through Turkiye, and both governments approved the proposal. Ankara had previously sought relief from the award, but Baghdad rejected waiving the compensation because of its financial pressures.

An International Chamber of Commerce tribunal on February 13, 2023, ordered Turkiye to pay Iraq a net $1.47139 billion after set-offs, plus applicable interest, over unauthorized Iraqi crude exports through Ceyhan between May 21, 2014 and September 30, 2018. The Paris Court of Appeal on March 10 rejected Turkiye's attempt to partly set aside the award, while a separate Washington enforcement case continues to address the parties' claims and accrued interest before determining the final balance.

On August 1, Iraq's and Turkiye's state oil and pipeline companies signed a one-year agreement maintaining use of the Iraq-Turkiye Pipeline while negotiations continue over a broader framework, with the interim arrangement covering 750,000 barrels per day of capacity.

Agha said the Kirkuk-Ceyhan route is operating and that work is underway to raise export capacity beyond one million bpd as Kirkuk's oil fields and infrastructure are developed.

Turkiye's state-owned TPAO also agreed on July 28 to acquire a 15% stake in BP Energy Company of Kirkuk Limited, joining BP and ConocoPhillips in developing major oil and gas fields in Kirkuk.

Shafaq News- Baghdad

Asaib Ahl Al-Haq*, one of Iraq’s most powerfulIran-aligned armed factions, handed over weapons from a base south of Baghdadto state authorities two days ago, sources familiar with the factions’ internaldeliberations told Shafaq News on Friday, pointing to progress in thegovernment’s push to bring arms under state control.

The transfer in Al-Yusufiyah involved equipmentbelonging to Brigades 41 and 42, which operated within the Popular MobilizationForces (PMF), completing their integration into the official securitystructure. The arsenal included fewer than 10 locally manufactured andIranian-made drones, all without munitions, alongside other weapons. Nomissiles were surrendered.

According to one source, the committee handling theprocess requires groups to give up missiles with ranges of 300 kilometers ormore. Representatives from the Interior and Defense ministries, the IraqiNational Security Advisory, and the PMF witnessed and documented the transfer.

Talks with holdout factions have produced “positivesignals,” but the second source linked further movement to the departure of USand other foreign troops by Sept. 30 under the Baghdad-Washington securityagreement, arguing that their withdrawal would remove a major obstacle to adeal.

Read more: What happens to Iraq's armed factions after September 30?

American companies and private security contractorscould continue operating in Iraq, as economic and investment activity would notbe affected by the military departure.

Asaib Ahl Al-Haq has backed placing faction weaponsunder government authority, following Patriotic Shiite Movement (PSM) leaderMuqtada al-Sadr’s decision to put Saraya al-Salam under state control. KataibHezbollah, Harakat Al-Nujaba, and Kataib Sayyid Al-Shuhada remain opposed, withKataib Hezbollah conditioning any deal on a complete US withdrawal andguarantees against its return.

The State Administration Coalition has set Sept. 30 asthe deadline for ending armed activity outside official institutions, warningthat violations afterward would face legal action.

Read more: Iraq's September deadline undercuts armed factions' case for weapons

Shiite political leaders are exploring a compromisefor groups unwilling to disarm. A Coordination Framework source previously toldShafaq News that the proposal would give Prime Minister Ali Al-Zaidi, ascommander-in-chief, authority over any use of their weapons.

Badr Organization leader Hadi Al-Amiri and Al-HikmaMovement leader Ammar Al-Hakim are leading talks with the factions aimed atavoiding a confrontation with the government.

* Asaib Ahl Al-Haq operates Brigades 41, 42, and 43within the PMF, the state-sanctioned paramilitary umbrella incorporated intoIraq’s security apparatus after its 2014 mobilization against ISIS. The groupis represented in Parliament through the Sadiqoon bloc and is designated by theUnited States as a foreign terrorist organization over its ties to Iran’sIslamic Revolutionary Guard Corps.

Read more: Iraq's disarmament deadline pits Baghdad against Iran-aligned factions

Shafaq News- Baghdad

Iranian Parliament Speaker MohammadBagher Ghalibaf on Friday called for a “clear roadmap” to expand trade withIraq and reduce reliance on the US dollar by using national currencies inbilateral transactions, according to IRNA News Agency.

Speaking at a meetingof Iranian and Iraqi business representatives at the Iranian Embassy inBaghdad, Ghalibaf described some obstacles facing the private sector in bothcountries as deep-rooted,revealing plans for a broader meeting in Tehran with officials from Iran’sChamber of Commerce to address them based on a practical list of priorities.

On bilateral trade, Ghalibaf, who arrived in the Iraqi capital on Wednesday, arguedthat the two countries should move away from the US dollar in favor of theirnational currencies. “The era of American dominance over the world is over,” hesaid, adding that available opportunities had not been adequately utilized andthat trade continued to rely on “old methods.”

Read more: Two powers, one grid: The geopolitical siege of Iraq’s economy

He also pointed to maritime accessand skilled human resources in the Iran-Iraq border regions as assets thatcould be better utilized.

Turning to regional geopolitics, theofficial described the route extending from Iran and Iraq to the Mediterraneanthrough the Iran-aligned “Axis of Resistance,” a network that includes armedfactions in Iraq, Lebanon, and Yemen, as “the heart of the geopolitical sphereand a key component of power and independence.”

Shafaq News- Karbala

Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf said on Thursday that Iran and Iraq would not allow the West to determine their future or reduce them to “the margins of others’ narratives.”

Ghalibaf made the remarks during a ceremony in Karbala marking 40 days since the burial of former Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, who was killed in a US-Israeli strike earlier this year, according to Iran’s Fars News Agency.

“For every step the enemies of our two countries have taken to drive us apart, we have taken two steps toward one another,” Ghalibaf said.

He added that the two countries have a “clear plan” to strengthen their security and stability, curb foreign influence and pursue projects aimed at improving the lives of their peoples.

Ghalibaf arrived in Baghdad on Wednesday with a high-level Iranian delegation for a three-day official visit.

Shafaq News- Baghdad

Senior Iraqi officials failed to appear before parliament on Thursday for a hearing over the government’s response to US-Saudi strikes that killed members of the Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF) last month, lawmaker Saqr al-Mohammadawi told Shafaq News.

Al-Mohammadawi, a member of Parliament’s Security and Defense Committee, said parliament had formally summoned senior officials from Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi’s office, as well as PMF Commission Chairman Falih al-Fayyadh.

Committee members and other lawmakers attended the scheduled hearing, but none of the three summoned officials appeared or notified parliament that they would be absent, according to al-Mohammadawi.

He said it was the second time parliament had summoned officials to question them over why precautionary measures were not taken to evacuate PMF facilities before the strikes.

Read more: US-Saudi attack on Iraq: What Is Known

The Security and Defense Committee formally notified the parliamentary leadership of the officials’ absence, al-Mohammadawi noted, adding that parliament would consider further measures.

On July 29, US Central Command (CENTCOM) said US and Saudi forces had carried out coordinated precision strikes on sites belonging to Iran-backed armed groups in Iraq. CENTCOM maintained the groups had attempted attacks on US forces and Saudi energy infrastructure. The PMF Commission said the joint strikes killed at least 20 of its members and wounded 32 others. Iranian media reported that four members of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps were among those killed.

Shafaq News- Baghdad

The Iranian Speaker of Parliament, Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, expressed support for Iraqi government steps to place the weapons of armed factions undera legal framework and reaffirmed Tehran's commitment to the bilateral securityagreement during talks in Baghdad on Thursday with Iraq's National SecurityAdviser, Qasem Al-Aboudi.

Al-Aboudi, in a statement, said that the Iraqi constitution does notpermit armed groups to threaten the security of other states, and that the governmentwas moving ahead with bringing all weapons under state control. Ghalibaf backed the government's program to bring weapons under the authority ofthe Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces.

A day earlier, Ghalibaf had praised the Iraqi "resistance,"the Iran-aligned factions, describing it as a source of national strength whoseinfluence extends beyond Iraq's borders.

Read more: Days to disarm Iraq's factions: deadline or negotiable ceiling?

Shafaq News- Baghdad

Iraq’s ruling Shiite Coordination Framework raised the passage of Iraqi oil exports through the Strait of Hormuz and Iranian attacks on the Kurdistan Region during talks with Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf in Baghdad on Wednesday, an informed source told Shafaq News.

The meeting, held at the Government Palace, covered Iraqi-Iranian relations and ways to ensure the continued passage of Iraqi oil exports through the Strait of Hormuz.

Read more: No exit but Hormuz: Iraq's economic vulnerability exposed

The source said the talks also covered “Iranian attacks on the Kurdistan Region” and efforts to keep Iraq out of the conflict between Iran and the United States.

Read more: Nearly four weeks of attacks on the Kurdistan Region of Iraq

Ghalibaf arrived in Baghdad earlier on Wednesday, leading a high-level Iranian delegation for a three-day official visit. He held separate meetings with senior Iraqi leaders before meeting the Coordination Framework.