Shafaq News-Najaf

Najaf GovernorYusuf Kanawi coordinated on Monday with Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchion arrangements for the official funeral procession of the late Iranian SupremeLeader Ali Khamenei, whose body is scheduled to arrive in Iraq on June 8.

According to astatement from the governor's media office, the meeting covered service,security, and social arrangements specific to the ceremony.

Earlier today,the government spokesman Haider al-Aboudi said Iraq has approved a request fromIran to hold the official funeral procession for Khamenei.

Khamenei waskilled in American-Israeli airstrikes targeting Tehran on February 28, aftermore than three decades as Supreme Leader. He was succeeded by his son, MojtabaKhamenei.

Shafaq News-Baghdad

Iraqi securityforces reopened Baghdad's Green Zone on Monday after temporarily closing itduring the Dawn Crackdown security operation that resulted in a series ofarrests in corruption cases.

Shafaq Newscorrespondent said authorities lifted restrictions at the Green Zone'sentrances after completing security measures. The area had been closed sinceSunday dawn, with access limited to security badge holders and intensifiedinspections imposed on all incoming and outgoing vehicles.

Read more: Iraq detains top officials in anti-corruption sweep: What we know so far

Shafaq News-Baghdad

The Iraqigovernment on Monday reaffirmed September 30 as the deadline for surrenderingunlicensed weapons, warning that any firearm retained after that date will beclassified as "irregular."

Governmentspokesperson Haidar Al-Aboudi had previously said the deadline forms part ofthe government's ministerial program approved by Parliament and coincides withthe conclusion of the Global Coalition's mission in Iraq.

Read more: What does Iraq's new government promise? A guide to Ali Al-Zaidi's ministerial program

Thegovernment's disarmament initiative is outlined in the PM Ali al-Zaidi’sministerial program and reviewed by Parliament. It includes a clear provisionon establishing state monopoly over all weapons. The program specifiesformation of committees and designated timelines for implementation.

Harakatal-Nujaba, a prominent Iran-aligned armed faction, stated that weaponrestriction measures target "irregular weapons" that fuellawlessness, not "resistance weapons."

Al-Abudi didnot provide details on enforcement mechanisms after September 30.

Read more: Iraq to place armed factions' weapons under state control: What we know so far

Shafaq News- Baghdad (Updated at 12:37)

Iraq's Interior Ministry said on Monday that anti-narcotics forces arrested a suspected drug dealer and seized 29 kilograms of hashish, a concentrated cannabis resin, while the Supreme Judicial Council announced the destruction of239 kilograms of narcotic substances seized in Basra.

Investigators, according to the Interior Ministry, tracked the suspect through intelligence work and GPS technology before arresting him while he was allegedly preparing to receive the drug shipment. It described the suspect as a "dangerous dealer" who had experience evading surveillance and changing smuggling and distribution methods.

The Supreme Judicial Council also announced Monday the destruction of239.8 kilograms of narcotic substances seized in Basra, along with over 1,388narcotic tablets and 202 bottles of codeine.

Iraq’s Interior Ministry dismantled 230 drug trafficking networks, including 27 international rings, over the past three years. Crystal meth accounted for the largest share of consumption nationwide at 37.3%, followed by Captagon at 34.3%. Most users were between the ages of 15 and 30, with higher prevalence recorded in impoverished communities.

Shafaq News- Baghdad

Iraq’s anti-corruption campaign led to 67 arrests within the first 24hours of a sweeping nationwide drive, a security source told Shafaq News onMonday.

The detainees included members of parliament, political figures,government employees, and business owners accused of financial corruption,mismanagement of public funds, and illicit enrichment.

“Several wanted individuals have either fled or gone into hiding insideIraq, but tightened border and internal security measures have prevented anyconfirmed exits from the country,” the source added, noting that thenumber of arrests will “definitely increase.”

On Sunday, Iraqi security forces, under Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi’sdirective, carried out a nationwide anti-corruption operation. According toinformed sources, the campaign is expected to target more than 200 officials,politicians, former and current deputy ministers, business owners, and othersuspects during its initial phase.

Read more: Iraq detains 47 officials in anti-corruption sweep: What we know so far

Shafaq News- Baghdad

Iraq's anti-corruption campaign willtarget more than 200 officials, politicians, former and current deputyministers, and business owners during its initial 72-hour phase as part of asix-month operation, a well-informed source told Shafaq News on Sunday.

The source said the campaign beganbefore dawn under the direct supervision of Prime Minister Ali Al-Zaidi andwith judicial backing, focusing on cases of illicit enrichment and unexplainedwealth involving suspects accused of exploiting state resources for personalgain. It also targets brokers, intermediaries, and companies suspected ofserving as fronts to launder money on behalf of political and governmentfigures or facilitate the misuse of public funds.

Authorities are working to liftparliamentary immunity for suspects named in legal case files to enablejudicial proceedings, a step the source said could help recover substantialpublic funds during the campaign's first phase.

The campaignalso revives Iraq's long-stalled "Where Did You Get This?"initiative, a national anti-corruption effort first launched in 2023 thatscrutinizes whether officials' wealth matches their declared income. Accordingto the source, the file had been shelved under political pressure but wasreopened with judicial backing as Iraq's financial position worsened.

The source added that the campaignwould extend beyond Iraq's borders, with authorities preparing arrest warrantsand coordinating with Interpol to pursue suspects abroad and recover assets acquiredthrough the misuse of public funds and state institutions for personal gain.

Read more: Iraq detains 47 officials in anti-corruptionsweep: What we know so far

Shafaq News- Baghdad

Iraqi security forces launched asweeping anticorruption operation across Baghdad and several provinces at dawnSunday, detaining 43 officials, politicians, businessmen, and members ofparliament in the largest such operation in the country's recent history.

Well-informed sources told ShafaqNews that the operation was conducted under the direct supervision of PrimeMinister Ali al-Zaidi and covered multiple Baghdad districts, including SadrCity, Shaab, Zayouna, Yarmouk, and the Qadisiyah residential complex, as wellas the provinces of Babil, Maysan, and Erbil. Security forces also raided theMidland Oil Company on suspicion of financial corruption involvement.

Two units carried out the arrests:the Counter-Terrorism Service and the Special Forces. Arrest warrants wereissued on charges of financial and administrative corruption, according to anothersecurity source cited by Shafaq News. All detainees have been handed over to theIntegrity Commission, under direct follow-up by the Prime Minister and thePresident of the Supreme Judicial Council, Faeq Zaidan.

Read more: A guide to Ali Al-Zaidi's ministerial program

Large sums of cash were seized fromthe homes and offices of those detained, according to the source, and the exactamounts will be announced after final accounting is completed. Some of thoseinitially detained have since been released.

No security breaches, confrontations,or armed resistance were reported during the operation. The deployment ofarmored vehicles, according to the source, was limited to sealing entrances tothe Green Zone, the fortified government and diplomatic district in centralBaghdad, as a precautionary measure.

A second phase is planned, the sourcesaid, targeting senior-tier political figures, lawmakers, directors-general,and businessmen.

In 2025, Iraq's Federal Commission of Integrity recovered nearly one trillion dinars (about $650M) in public funds while pursuing dozens of senior officials, including ministers, through judicial proceedings.

Prime Minister Ali Al-Zaidi, on May 30, established the Supreme Sovereign Council for Integrity, Oversight, and Recovery of Public Funds, tasked with pursuing cases involving the misuse of public money across ministries, government institutions, and provincial administrations.

The current operation remainsongoing.

Read more: Ex-finance official seeks review of al-Sudani government's decisions

Shafaq New- Baghdad

Iraqi security forces on Sundaysealed off Baghdad's fortified Green Zone and arrested more than eight people,including members of parliament, during a sweeping operation carried out underjudicial arrest warrants in financial and administrative corruption cases, asecurity source told Shafaq News.

All entrances to the Green Zone,which houses parliament, key government institutions, and diplomatic missions,were closed as Counter-Terrorism Service (CTS) personnel established additionalcheckpoints and subjected those leaving the area to strict inspections. Theonly exception was for students carrying examination cards.

The pre-dawn operation includedraids and searches of the homes of lawmakers, politicians, and businessmen. Italso extended to Baghdad's northern Al-Shaab district, where CTS units executedsimilar judicial arrest warrants.

In 2025, Iraq's Federal Commissionof Integrity recovered nearly one trillion dinars (about $650M) in public fundswhile pursuing dozens of senior officials, including ministers, throughjudicial proceedings.

Prime Minister Ali Al-Zaidi, on May30, established the Supreme Sovereign Council for Integrity, Oversight, andRecovery of Public Funds, tasked with pursuing cases involving the misuse ofpublic money across ministries, government institutions, and provincialadministrations.

What does Iraq's new government promise? A guide to Al-Zaidi'sministerial program

Shafaq News- Baghdad

Special Iraqi security forces on Sunday deployed inside Baghdad’s Green Zone following reports of arrests targeting senior political figures and protection personnel linked to corruption files, a security source told Shafaq News.

Forces spread around several “sensitive” headquarters inside the fortified district, with tighter measures at some entrances and roads leading into the area.

No official statement has confirmed the arrests, and no names or charges have been publicly announced.

The Green Zone houses key government institutions, parliament offices, senior political headquarters, and foreign missions.

Prime Minister Ali Al-Zaidi’s government, since taking office in May, has ordered reviews of major state contracts and formed a higher council to oversee integrity, auditing, and public fund recovery. Security forces later arrested Deputy Oil Minister for Refining Affairs Adnan Hamad Hamoud on corruption-related charges, while a senior National Security Service official was detained over allegations of espionage and graft, according to security sources.

Shafaq News- Baghdad

Iraqi security forces recovered an unidentified drone in Baghdad's Nahrawan district on Saturday, with initial inspections confirming it carried no explosives, a security source told Shafaq News.

Last week, Iraq's Supreme Judicial Council instructed courts to apply the country's anti-terrorism law against anyone found manufacturing, possessing, or using drones for unlawful purposes.

Iraq has faced recurring incidents in which unmanned aircraft were used in attacks on military installations, energy infrastructure, Iranian opposition parties, and diplomatic compounds on its territory, particularly in the Israeli-US-Iran war.

Shafaq News- Wasit

Iraqi security forces raided the homes of residents andactivists who took part in protests over deteriorating electricity supplies in eastern Iraq's Wasit province, arresting several people, a security sourcetold Shafaq News on Friday.

A security source previously said demonstrators gathered inKut, the provincial capital of Wasit, andlater moved to block the entrance tothe Provincial Council building before security forces responded with tear gas.

A local activist, who declined to be identified, told ShafaqNews earlier this week that “more than 10 demonstrators had been arrested during the crackdown.”

Shafaq News- Baghdad/ Karbala

Iraq's National Security Service (INSS) arrested on Friday severalsuspects accused of promoting ISIS ideology and inciting sectarian tensions inBaghdad and Karbala provinces during Ashura commemorations.

According to INSS, its forces carried out two operations inBaghdad, detaining a suspect for publishing TikTok content promoting ISISideology and inciting sectarian hatred. In a separate operation, officers apprehendedanother individual accused of tearing down a Hussaini banner.

In Karbala, its units, in coordination withthe Imam Hussein Holy Shrine administration, contained an incident near theshrine after a group of 14 foreign nationals assaulted other pilgrims.

Earlier today, the head of Iraq's Supreme Committee forMajor Pilgrimages announced that the security plan for Ashura commemorations inKarbala was successfully implemented.

Shafaq News- Nineveh

An explosive remnant of war left behind by ISIS killedtwo shepherds on Friday while they were grazing sheep in the Al-Baaj Islandarea west of Iraq's Nineveh province, a security source told Shafaq News.

Security forces sealed off the area and launched aninvestigation, while the bodies were transferred to the forensic medicinedepartment to complete legal procedures.

Iraq remains among the world's most heavilycontaminated countries with explosive remnants of war. The United Nations MineAction Service (UNMAS) estimates that about 2,733 square kilometers of landremain contaminated following successive conflicts, including the Iran-IraqWar, the 1991 Gulf War, post-2003 violence, and the campaign against ISIS.

Official figures show that more than 30,000 peoplehave been killed or injured by landmines and unexploded ordnance in Iraq since2003.

Read more: Floods unearth Iraq’s hidden mines, reviving a wartime threat

Shafaq News- Podgorica

Montenegrin police and the US Federal Bureau ofInvestigation (FBI) have arrested an Iranian national wanted by US authoritiesover alleged cyberattacks that caused an estimated $3.4 billion in damage tocritical infrastructure.

The 39-year-old suspect, who holds Iranian and Turkishcitizenship, was detained in the Adriatic coastal town of Kotor. He is wantedby the US District Court for the Southern District of New York on chargesincluding conspiracy to commit computer fraud, hacking, and identity theft.

In a statement, Montenegro's Police Directoratealleged that the suspect carried out large-scale cyberattacks beginning in2013, targeting more than 150 US universities. It also claimed that the stolendata and access to compromised accounts benefited Iran's Islamic RevolutionaryGuard Corps (IRGC) and other Iranian institutions.

The case has been referred to the High Court inPodgorica to begin extradition proceedings.

FBI did not immediately comment.

US authorities have repeatedly accused Iran and theIRGC of sponsoring cyber operations against American institutions. In April, UScybersecurity, intelligence, and law enforcement agencies warned of anescalation in Iranian hacking campaigns targeting critical infrastructure.

Read more: Middle East cyber war: Strategy failures leave Arab states vulnerable

Shafaq News- Diyala

An explosion hit a headquarters ofthe Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF), a state-backed coalition ofpredominantly Shiite armed factions, in Diyala province, northeastern Iraq, asecurity source told Shafaq News on Thursday.

The blast occurred inside a storagefacility for weapons and rockets on the outskirts of Al-Muqdadiya district.

The cause of the explosion was notimmediately clear, and preliminary information indicated that no casualties hadbeen recorded.

On Wednesday, firefightersextinguished a blaze that swept through five caravans at a PMF facility inBaghdad, with preliminary information pointing to an electrical short circuitas the likely cause.

Shafaq News- Al-Anbar

Iraqi border forces seized 197,000 Captagon pills weighing 34 kilograms after intercepting a smuggling balloon near the Trebil border crossing in western Al-Anbar province on the border with Jordan, the Interior Ministry stated on Thursday.

Last month, the security forces shot down a balloon carrying narcotics near the Kuwaiti border after coordinating with Kuwaiti authorities. They also announced the seizure of another balloon carrying more than 198,000 narcotic pills near Iraq’s western border with Syria before it entered the country.

Read more: The Smuggler's Almanac: Iraq's war against narco-innovation

The Interior Ministry reported 1,201 trafficking networks dismantled over three years, 14 tons of narcotics seized, and 23,118 convictions. Captagon accounts 34% of national consumption, with most users between the ages of 15 and 30.

Shafaq News- Kirkuk

One person was killed and threeothers were wounded in a gunfight over a land dispute in the multi-ethnicnorthern Iraqi province of Kirkuk early Thursday, a security source told ShafaqNews.

The source said a group of peoplearrived from Chamchamal, in Iraqi Kurdistan, and confronted the owner of thedisputed property in Benja Ali area. The dispute escalated into an exchange ofgunfire, killing 60-year-old Qader Marouf and wounding his brother, a policeofficer who owns the land, as well as a man from the opposing group and amediator who intervened in an attempt to contain the confrontation.

Security forces cordoned off thearea, launched a manhunt for the suspects who fled the scene, and opened aninvestigation into the incident.

Kirkuk, home to Kurdish, Arab,Turkmen, and Christian communities, remains one of Iraq's disputed territoriesunder Article 140 of the Constitution, which set out a process to determinewhether the province should remain under federal authority or join theKurdistan Regional Government (KRG). The process has remained unresolved sinceits 2007 deadline.

Read more: Discover Iraq: Kirkuk, a city of oil, culture, and conflict

Shafaq News- Baghdad

Iraq's Supreme Judicial Council onWednesday directed courts to prosecute individuals involved in the manufacture,use, or possession of drones deployed “in illegal activities,” according to astatement from the council.

Courts have been instructed to applythe country's Anti-Terrorism Law, legislation that carries some of the mostsevere criminal penalties in Iraqi statute, to cases involving drones thatendanger public safety or constitute criminal offenses.

The directive does not specifycategories of prohibited devices or define thresholds for civilian use.

One day earlier, Iraq's Ministry ofDefense established a tactical trench training facility at the Special ForcesSchool, designed to prepare troops for battlefield threats that have come todefine contemporary warfare.

Iraq has faced recurring incidentsin which unmanned aircraft were used in attacks on military installations,energy infrastructure, Iranian opposition parties, and diplomatic compounds onits territory, particularly in the Israeli-US-Iran war.

Shafaq News- Baghdad/ Diyala

An 18-year-old man and a teenage girl died by suicidein separate incidents in Iraq’s Baghdad and Diyala provinces, securitysources told Shafaq News on Wednesday.

The young man hanged himself near a residentialproperty in Baghdad's Al-Baladiyat area, while the girl, a student from Diyala’sJalawla district, took her own life amid family and economic difficulties,including her mother's battle with cancer.

Authorities have referred both cases to the relevantforensic and judicial bodies, while investigations remain ongoing.

Earlier this month, four people in Baghdad and Diyaladied by suicide within hours of each other, security sources told Shafaq News at the time.

A 2025 report by Iraq’s Ministry of Labour and SocialAffairs showed the country records between 55 and 70 suicides per month onaverage, with annual cases rising from about 1,100 in 2022 to nearly 1,500 in2024.

Read more: When life feels closed from all sides: Iraq’s rising suicide cases

Shafaq News- Baghdad

Firefighters extinguished a blaze that swept through fivecaravans at a Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF) facility in Baghdad, a securitysource told Shafaq News on Wednesday.

The fire broke out at a PMF base in al-Buaitha area ofBaghdad's al-Dora district, damaging vehicles belonging to the faction's 56thBrigade. No injuries were reported.

The PMF is a predominantly Shiite umbrella force which wasincorporated into Iraq's state security apparatus in 2016.

Preliminary information points to an electrical shortcircuit as the likely cause of the fire. A final determination is expectedfollowing the completion of a forensic investigation.

Shafaq News- Baghdad

Iraq established a new tactical trench training facility atthe Special Forces School to prepare troops for emerging battlefield threats,particularly the growing use of drones in modern warfare, the Ministry ofDefense announced on Tuesday.

The facility was created based on lessons learned fromcontemporary conflicts, which have introduced new combat patterns including theextensive use of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) and trench-based operations,the ministry explained, adding that the training ground includes key facilitiesdesigned to simulate operational conditions, such as a command-and-controlcenter, a field medical station, weapons storage areas, and dedicated rooms forrest and logistical support.

Major General Ghalib Mohammed Kamar, commander of theSpecial Forces Division, stated that the Special Forces School is the firstunit in the Iraqi Army to implement this type of training across differentdirections, positions, and operational settings. “The program will beincorporated into the official training curriculum for Special Forcespersonnel.” 

Read more: Iraqi Army after US-led Coalition withdrawal: Can Baghdad achieve full military sovereignty?

Shafaq News-Baghdad

The SupremeJudicial Council of Iraq declared that an arrest warrant circulating on socialmedia and purportedly issued against former Prime Minister Mohammed Shiaal-Sudani is fabricated and carries no legal force.

Thedocument, attributed to the First Karkh Investigation Court in Baghdad anddated June 23, 2026, named al-Sudani, listed in the warrant as former PrimeMinister of Iraq, born in Baghdad in 1970, as a defendant in a complaint filedbefore the judicial investigator's office. The court, upon being contacted bythe council's media center, confirmed it did not issue the warrant.

MohammedShia al-Sudani served as Prime Minister of Iraq from 2022 to 2026. No officialcomment from his office had been issued at the time of publication.

Read more: Failure or feat? A bold assessment of PM Al-Sudani's tenure

Shafaq News-Maysan

The Directorate of Narcotics Affairs of Maysan province arrested a “high-priority suspect” knownas Abu Shaikha on Tuesday, dismantling “a central node” in a cross-provincialnarcotics network, the Iraqi Ministry of Interior stated.

Abu Shaikha iswanted by the judiciary on more than 15 drug trafficking charges and is accusedof masterminding the management, smuggling, and distribution of narcoticsacross several Iraqi provinces. All of his brothers have previously beenconvicted on similar charges.

Officersdetained Abu Shaikha alongside one of his brothers in a remote area of Al-Uzayrdistrict, and seized narcotics and weapons at the time of arrest.

Earlier thismonth, the directorate also announced dismantling an international criminalnetwork composed of three foreigners accused of smuggling and transportingcrystal methamphetamine into Iraq.

Read more: Iraq intercepts 1.7 tons of drugs, issues 42 death sentences in 2026 crackdown

Shafaq News- Baghdad

Iraq's Federal Commission of Integrity on Monday called onthe United Kingdom to strengthen cooperation in recovering stolen assets andpursuing proceeds of corruption, stressing that corruption-related crimes havebecome increasingly transnational and require effective legal coordinationbetween countries.

In a statement, the Integrity Commission noted that ChairmanMohammed Ali al-Lami met British Ambassador to Iraq Irfan Siddiq, citing him assaying that corruption is no longer a domestic issue but a cross-border crimethat requires stronger mechanisms for mutual legal assistance and the recoveryof assets obtained through corrupt activities.

He emphasized the need to enhance procedures for extraditingsuspects and recovering smuggled funds in line with international obligationsand efforts to protect public resources. The commission chief also called forcloser international cooperation to track illicit financial flows andstrengthen accountability measures.

Siddiq expressed the United Kingdom's readiness to cooperatewith Iraqi state institutions, particularly oversight bodies tasked withpreventing and combating corruption, adding that reducing corruption “wouldhelp create a more attractive environment for investment and economic growth.” 

Read more: What does Iraq's new government promise? A guide to Ali Al-Zaidi's ministerial program

Shafaq News- Baghdad

Bassem Al-Badri officially assumed his duties as head ofIraq's National Security Service (INSS), the agency announced on Sunday.

Al-Badri reviewed key departments and core responsibilitiesduring his first day e and received briefings on ongoing operations and thetasks assigned to various units.

He called for greater efforts to improve institutionalperformance and strengthen security and intelligence capabilities, stressingthe need for enhanced coordination and professional work to support Iraq'sstability, identify potential threats, and assist state institutions insafeguarding national security.

Last week, Iraqi Prime Minister Ali Al-Zaidi dismissed AbdulKarim Al-Basri appointed Al-Badri as his successor. Al-Badri has served as headof the National Accountability and Justice Commission since 2013 and was amongthe prominent candidates considered for the premiership of the currentgovernment.