Shafaq News- Baghdad

Lawmakers from Iraq’s Sunni Al-Azm Alliance, led byMuthanna Al-Samarrai, submitted a request to Parliament on Wednesday forlegislation criminalizing “insults against religious figures,” amid renewedcontroversy over sectarian rhetoric.

At a press conference inside Parliament, MP RaadAl-Dahlaki urged the judiciary to curb a “malicious phenomenon” that could fuelsectarian strife. “There are acts rejected by society, including insultsagainst religious figures and the wives of the Prophet [Muhammad],” he noted,adding that the proposed measure would apply across sectarian lines to figuresrevered by Muslims.

Earlier Wednesday, Iraq’s Sunni Endowment filed acriminal complaint against Shiite religious reciter Faqid Al-Mousawi, accusinghim of insulting companions of the Prophet Muhammad and one of his wives. Itslegal department submitted video clips attributed to Al-Mousawi to Baghdad’sThird Karkh Investigation Court.

Iraqi fact-checking platform Tech 4 Peace traced thefootage to a June 15, 2025 event, disputing claims that it was recent.Al-Mousawi likewise argued that the clips were old and had previously beenreviewed by the courts, denying any intent to target a particular community.

Sectarian rhetoric remains particularly sensitive inIraq after years of Sunni-Shiite violence following 2003. The February 2006bombing of the Shiite Al-Askari shrine in Samarra sharply intensified theconflict, triggering widespread retaliatory attacks and displacement. More than1.1 million Iraqis were internally displaced during the 2006–2008 sectarianconflict, according to the UN Refugee Agency.

Read more: Religion in Iraq: Heritage of civilization or a catalyst for conflict?

Shafaq News- Nineveh

Nineveh authorities will impose fines and other penalties onprivate and government-run fuel stations over long queues and delays reportedacross the province, Ahmed Al-Abd Rabbo, head of the provincial council’sEnergy and Oil Committee, said on Wednesday.

In a video statement, Al-Abd Rabbo said he would conductsurprise inspections with the State Oil Products Distribution Company. “Privatestations that deliberately shut down fuel pumps will face immediate fines,while staff at government-run stations could face administrative penalties forfailing to perform their duties.”

Al-Abd Rabbo also called on employees responsible forscanning fuel card barcodes to work among waiting vehicles rather than remaininside station offices, aiming to speed up distribution and reduce congestion.“If government stations are short-staffed, the station manager must personallywork at the pumps to serve residents and clear the queues,” he added.

Earlier this month, a gasoline shortage in Nineveh leftmotorists facing long queues at fuel stations and complaints over fuel quality.Oil authorities said they planned tighter distribution controls, including fuelcards and QR codes, to curb unauthorized trading, while the Nineveh ProvincialCouncil sought a higher daily fuel allocation.

Shafaq News- Dhi Qar

Iraq’s Dhi Qar Provincial Council failed to convene anemergency session on Wednesday over 30 alleged financial violations involvingformer governor Murtadha Al-Ibrahimi after falling short of the requiredquorum, an informed source told Shafaq News.

A Federal Board of Supreme Audit report linked theviolations to Al-Ibrahimi, citing billions of Iraqi dinars in alleged waste andbreaches of legal and administrative procedures. The source linked the lack ofquorum to the absence of representatives from the National Approach (Al-NahjAl-Watani), National Wisdom Movement (Al-Hikma), Al-Makina, and SumeriyounMovement, as well as some State of Law Coalition members.

The council chairman had called the emergency meetingto review the audit findings and determine whether further action waswarranted.

Al-Ibrahimi came under similar scrutiny in January2025, when 14 of the council’s 18 members supported questioning him overalleged financial and administrative violations. The council later removed himfrom office, but the administrative court overturned the decision two monthslater, finding no legal grounds for his dismissal and ordering hisreinstatement. He subsequently became a member of Iraq’s Parliament.

Read more: Corruption arrests in Iraq pass 210 under PM al-Zaidi

Shafaq News- Baghdad

Iraq’s Parliamentary Electricity and Energy Committee willhost Electricity Minister Ali Wahib and senior ministry officials next weekover the ministry’s strategic plan and preparations for 2027, with a focus onpower losses.

Committee member Noura Al-Juhaishi told Shafaq News that theministry currently generates 22,000 megawatts, but only about 10,000 MW reachesconsumers. The rest goes to informal settlements, shopping malls, factories,and industrial facilities through unauthorized connections, she said, callingthe losses a waste of public funds and a source of corruption.

Eco Iraq, an economic affairs monitor, estimates that Iraqloses about 55% of its electricity output due to unauthorized connections andillegal grid use.

Iraq’s electricity sector faces a severe supply shortage,with demand reaching about 60,000 MW. Chronic outages worsen during the summer,when temperatures regularly exceed 50°C, leaving millions of Iraqis dependenton private generators.

Read more: Electricity output covers only one-third of Iraq's demand

Shafaq News- Basra

Mustafa Abdul-Razzaq al-Mayahi, an Iraqi blogger and media figure, saidWednesday he had begun an open-ended hunger strike to protest a court decisionextending his detention in the southern city of Basra.

Al-Mayahi is held on the order of the Publication and Media Court inBasra, a specialized court for cases involving journalists and online content.He said he launched the strike after the court prolonged his detention over alegal complaint against him.

Read more: The New era of control: Can Iraq's free press survive its politically-tainted rulers?

The case stems from videos he posted questioning fees charged oncivilian vehicles entering Iraq through the Shalamcheh crossing, a land borderpoint with Iran in Basra province. In the videos, al-Mayahi called for privatevehicles to be allowed through the crossing and for the cancellation of a3,000-dinar entry fee (about $2).

The complaint was filed by the General Commission for Border Crossings,the federal body that manages Iraq's land, sea, and air entry points. The courtordered al-Mayahi to be held until Wednesday to complete its investigation andrecord his statements about the posts.

His family said he was under severe psychological pressure in detentionand voiced concern over his continued confinement and the hunger strike. Itheld government and security authorities responsible for his safety andwell-being, and called for a review of his case and the measures taken againsthim.

Read more: Iraqi journalists struggle to access official information

Shafaq News- Baghdad

Iraq’s Communications and Media Commission (CMC) launched a new app on Wednesday that allows users to test internet and mobile-network quality while feeding the results into a nationwide regulatory database.

The commission’s chief executive Baligh Abu Kalal said CMC Speed Test measures download and upload speeds as well as latency, jitter and packet loss, while recording the network operator, connection type, location and time of each test.

The system uses crowdsourced measurements to give the regulator a broader picture of network performance across Iraq, including areas with weak coverage, slow speeds, congestion or recurring service problems.

Abu Kalal said the data would also be compared with radio-network indicators such as RSRP, RSRQ, SINR and RSSI, helping technical teams distinguish between poor coverage, congestion, radio interference and network-capacity problems.

Read more: Internet in Iraq: Snail-speed service, high costs, and digital divide

A monitoring dashboard will allow the CMC to map and compare results by operator, location, and mobile technology, from 2G through 5G, and track changes in service quality over daily, weekly and monthly periods.

The app is available for mobile users in Iraq.

Shafaq News- Baghdad

Iraq’s Sunni Endowment has filed a criminal complaint against Shiite religious reciter Faqid al-Mousawi, accusing him of insulting companions of the Prophet Muhammad and one of his wives.

The Endowment’s legal department submitted a CD to Baghdad’s Third Karkh Investigation Court containing clips attributed to al-Mousawi. It alleged that the remarks were intended to inflame sectarian tensions among Iraqis.

The complaint followed the renewed circulation on social media of a video presented by some users as recent and containing chants that sparked sectarian controversy.

Iraqi fact-checking platform Tech 4 Peace said the footage was not new, tracing it to an event on June 15, 2025, after comparing the circulating clip with video from another angle recorded at the same event.

Al-Mousawi also said on his official account that the clips were old and that the matter had previously been addressed before a court. He denied targeting any particular community or social group.

The video also drew criticism from Iraqi activists and social media users, with some describing the chants as sectarian and warning that such rhetoric could revive divisions rooted in Iraq’s past violence. Others defended al-Mousawi’s right to express his religious views.

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Sectarian rhetoric remains particularly sensitive in Iraq, where Sunni-Shiite violence surged after the 2003 US-led invasion. Tensions escalated sharply after al-Qaeda-linked militants bombed the Shiite al-Askari shrine in Samarra in February 2006, triggering widespread retaliatory violence and displacement. More than 1.1 million Iraqis were internally displaced during the 2006-2008 sectarian violence, according to the UN Refugee Agency.

Read more: Religion in Iraq: Heritage of civilization or a catalyst for conflict?

Shafaq News-Kirkuk

Surgeons in Kirkukin northern Iraq removed a malformed section in the lower lobe of a newborn'sright lung after the child was born, the hospital that carried out theoperation said Wednesday, calling it a rare procedure for an infant so young.

Ahmed Noural-Din, a thoracic and vascular surgeon who oversaw the operation, said scansduring pregnancy showed the fetus had congenital cystic adenomatoidmalformation, known as CCAM —a condition present from birth in which abnormaltissue grows in part of the lung and can interfere with breathing. He said thediagnosis prompted the hospital to bring together specialists in thoracicsurgery, neonatal care, obstetrics, and medical imaging to plan the treatmentand decide when to deliver the baby and when to operate.

“The surgerywas performed straight after delivery and took about two hours. The teamremoved the affected lobe of the lung,” Nour al-Din added.

The infantspent eight days in neonatal intensive care under observation before beingdischarged in stable condition.

Read more: First conjoined twin separation performed in Iraq’s Kirkuk

Shafaq News- Al-Muthanna

Iraq’s Federal Integrity Commission (CoI) has arrested several people linked to the Al-Muthanna Health Directorate over alleged irregularities in a project to rehabilitate Al-Hussein Teaching Hospital in Samawah, a security source told Shafaq News on Wednesday.

The source said between three and five suspects had been detained, without identifying them or detailing the alleged violations.

Read more: Corruption arrests in Iraq pass 210 under PM al-Zaidi

Shafaq News- Baghdad

Construction of Nasiriyah International Airport has reached 68%, with the project expected to be handed over in early 2027 if work continues on schedule, the head of Iraq’s General Company for Airports Management and Air Navigation Services said at a press conference.

Ihab Saad said progress was expected to accelerate once new ground-handling equipment arrived, adding that a specialist team was heading to China to conduct factory acceptance tests while construction continued at the site.

Saad said most obstacles affecting the project had been resolved and that the company was preparing a new contract addendum to address remaining issues.

Former Prime Minister Mustafa al-Kadhimi laid the foundation stone for the airport in June 2021. In July 2024, the Transport Ministry signed a consultancy contract addendum with Turkish firm Kiklop Design Hertz Insaat and a construction contract addendum with China State Construction Engineering Corporation (CSCEC).

The project has missed several previously announced deadlines. Former Transport Minister Razzaq Muhibis al-Saadawi said in January 2026 that the airport would open in March 2026, after the ministry and Dhi Qar authorities had earlier targeted the end of 2025.

Shafaq News- Kirkuk

Hundreds of visitors are gathering at Kirkuk Citadel to viewa strand of hair attributed to Prophet Muhammad, as celebrations of hisbirthday (Mawlid) keep alive a religious tradition preserved by one family forgenerations.

The relic is kept at the Najeeb Tekke, one of the city'soldest religious lodges. The family responsible for the site believes itarrived in Kirkuk from Turkiye during the Ottoman era and has remained in itscare ever since. Stored in a special case, the relic is displayed only on majorreligious occasions, when visitors from across Kirkuk and other Iraqi provincesgather at the historic lodge.

Fikret Najeeb, the current custodian, inheritedresponsibility for the relic from his father, continuing a duty passed downthrough generations.

“This hair has been preserved by our family forgenerations,” Najeeb told Shafaq News. “Our ancestors passed down theresponsibility of caring for it, protecting it and preserving it as a relicattributed to the Prophet of Islam.”

Read more: Kurdistan Region marks Prophet Muhammad's birthday

The annual observance also draws attention to Kirkuk's widerheritage of mosques, shrines and tekkes, many of which have formed part of thecity's religious landscape for generations.

Salim Majeed, director of the Sunni Endowment Office inKirkuk, described the anniversary as a time to reflect on the life andteachings of Islam and the values associated with them. “It is an opportunityto remember his life and the values of mercy, tolerance and good character,”Majeed told Shafaq News.

The Najeeb Tekke receives large numbers of visitors duringthe annual observance, he added, while the Endowment helps preserve many of thesite, organizes the flow of visitors while maintaining the sanctity of thefacility.

Its location inside Kirkuk Citadel gives the lodge anotherlayer of significance. Historical accounts trace the tekke to the Ottoman era,and it continues to bear the name of Sayyid Muhammad Najeeb.

Read more: Duhok celebrates Prophet Muhammad’s Mawlid

The building's importance, however, extends beyond itswalls. “Tekkes in Kirkuk were not only places for worship and religiousremembrance,” Abdul Karim Khalifa, a researcher specializing in Kirkuk'shistory, explained. “They also played educational, social and cultural roles,while strengthening the values of coexistence for which the city is known.”

That distinction places the relic at the intersection ofdocumented history and inherited memory. During the annual celebrations, visitorsbegin arriving at the citadel in the morning. Men and women, young and old,gather at the tekke to visit the site, read the Quran, and offer prayers andblessings.

For many, the gathering serves as both a religiousobservance and a social occasion, bringing together residents from differentparts of Kirkuk.

“Preserving places such as this involves more thanmaintaining old buildings,” Khalifa remarked. “It requires documenting theirhistory and the traditions connected to them, while distinguishing betweenestablished historical records and accounts handed down through generations.”

Read more: Qadiri Sufi followers mark Prophet's birthday in Erbil

Shafaq News- Baghdad

The Iraqi Parliament’s Education Committee plans to hostEducation Minister Abdul Karim Abtan to discuss preparations for the newacademic year, Committee ChairwomanZulaiha Elias told Shafaq News on Tuesday.

The meeting will address government measures to endovercrowding and the use of double- and triple-shift schedules in schools, sheadded, clarifying that Iraq needs more than 10,000 additional schools to addressthe problem and eliminate multiple shifts.

The committee will also discuss the ministry’s plans toregularize contract teachers and lecturers by placing them on permanent staff. “It'sessential to resolve these issues alongside preparations for the new schoolyear.”

Read more: Overworked Iraqi private school teachers demand reform

Shafaq News- Najaf

Gypsum plants in Iraq’s Najaf province have received no fuel oil since May despite monthly deductions for their allocations, their representative Haider Maji told Shafaq News.

Maji said each plant is allocated 60,000 liters a month, down from 80,000 liters before the allocation was cut around 2010, enough to operate for only about 10 days. Each plant can produce roughly 60 tons of gypsum per day when fuel is available.

A source in Najaf attributed the shortage to higher summer demand from electricity stations after reduced Iranian gas supplies pushed some plants toward greater use of fuel oil. The Najaf refinery currently produces about 2,800 cubic meters of fuel oil per day, with roughly 2,600 cubic meters supplied to power stations.

Maji urged authorities to restore regular fuel allocations, warning that gypsum production cannot continue without them. Iraq holds an estimated 142 million tons of primary gypsum reserves, according to an Iraqi Geological Survey study, which identifies the mineral as an important raw material for the country’s cement and plaster industries.

Read more: US pressure puts Iraq’s Iranian energy ties at risk

Shafaq News- Diyala

Water supplies have reached around 40 villages south of Bahraz in Iraq’s Diyala province after increased releases into the Kharisan River, a provincial council member said on Tuesday.

Nizar al-Luhaibi told Shafaq News that higher flows and the removal of obstructions along waterways had allowed water to reach many villages that had been struggling with shortages and drought.

He said supplying other affected areas would take more time.

Read more: Iraq’s water crisis deepens

The increased releases would particularly help farmers as they prepare for the winter planting season, al-Luhaibi said, adding that the measure followed appeals from residents.

He also said the increase came ahead of the rainy season and that Lake Hamrin held “good” water reserves following flooding during the previous season.

Read more: Did rain solve Iraq’s water problem?

On Aug. 3, Shafaq News reported that nearly 40 villages south of Bahraz were suffering severe water shortages, forcing residents to rely heavily on wells and threatening farmland. The shortages were attributed to drought and encroachments on rivers and canals supplying the area.

Shafaq News- Baghdad

Baghdad residents gathered at the Sheikh Abdul QadirAl-Gilani shrine in the center of the Iraqi capital on Monday evening to markthe Prophet Muhammad’s Mawlid (birthday), lighting candles, playing tambourinesand raising banners.

Dozens of people from central Baghdad, particularly fromneighborhoods surrounding the shrine, attended the celebrations.

Mawlid celebrations begin at the start of Rabi al-Awwal, thethird month of the Islamic calendar. Gatherings include recitations of poemspraising the Prophet Muhammad, lessons about his life and teachings, and thedistribution of food and traditional sweets.

The Baghdad Operations Command said it had begunimplementing a security plan for the celebrations, deploying forces to protectshrines, holy sites, places of worship, celebration venues and roads leading tothem.

In the Kurdistan Region of Iraq, followers of the QadiriSufi order gathered at the Sayyid Abdullah Tekke in southwest of Erbil, forcelebrations featuring dhikr, devotional chants and frame drums. The order,which traces its origins to Sheikh Abdul Qadir al-Jilani, remains one of Iraq’smost prominent Sufi traditions.

In Al-Sulaymaniyah, Mawlid celebrations also drew largecrowds to mosques and streets, with religious gatherings, devotional songs andcommunal meals.

Shafaq News-Nasiriyah

NasiriyahHeart Hospital, the largest specialist center for cardiac disease and surgeryin southern Iraq, appealed on Monday to businesspeople, traders, contractors,and the public for donations, citing a financial crisis and shortages ofmedicines, supplies, equipment, and furniture.

In astatement, the hospital said the shortages were straining its ability to keepservices running for patients and asked for contributions to help maintainthem.

In July,Health Minister Abdul Hussein al-Moussawi said the government faced “aliquidity catastrophe” that had made paying salaries its priority. AdilaHamoud, head of parliament's Health and Anti-Narcotics Committee, has warnedthat the healthcare sector could slide into a crisis that would be hard tocontain if the country's financial problems persist.

Spending onthe Health Ministry in 2025 came to about 4.8 trillion dinars (3.7 billiondollars), according to the budget monitor's report. With the 2025 budget set at200 trillion dinars (around 154 billion dollars), health accounted for roughly2.4 percent of total spending. Against a population estimated at 47.5 millionat the start of 2026, based on United Nations data, that works out to about 78dollars per person for the year.

Read more: Iraq’s healthcare system nears collapse: Doctors leave, hospitals overflow

On Sunday,Iraq's Federal Integrity Commission, the state anti-corruption body, urged thegovernment to speed up work on two long-delayed hospitals in Baghdad, sayingthe stalled projects are limiting the capital's public health capacity. A fieldteam from the commission found Al-Shaala Hospital 92.7 percent complete andAl-Hurriya Hospital at 73 percent, and said the Health Ministry had not fullypaid contractors, with the supply of medical equipment, machinery, andfurniture still unfinished.

Shafaq News- Babil

Babil’s Provincial Council on Monday renamed Jurf Al-Nasr, one of Iraq’s most politically sensitive post-ISIS areas, as Madinat Al-Nasr, or “City of Victory.”

According to a Shafaq News correspondent, the council chose the new name to commemorate the area’s role in the victory over ISIS. Previously known as Jurf Al-Sakhar, it was renamed Jurf Al-Nasr after Iraqi forces and allied fighters retook it from the group in October 2014.

Located about 60 kilometers southwest of Baghdad and 13 kilometers north of Al-Musayyib, the area is crossed by orchards, drainage canals, and waterways and lies along routes linking the capital with Babil, Karbala, Najaf, and western Iraq. More than a decade after its recapture, over 100,000 displaced people remain unable to return.

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

Shafaq News- Babil

Buffalo herds and fishermen are returning to waterways in Iraq’s Babil province after improved rainfall and higher river levels brought relief from years of drought that damaged agriculture, livestock, and fisheries across central and southern Iraq.

Along Shatt Al-Hilla, a major historical branch of the Euphrates River, Shafaq News observed buffalo swimming with their herders while fishermen cast nets nearby, showing a gradual revival of water-dependent livelihoods.

The 2025-2026 winter brought above-normal rainfall and Iraq’s strongest recovery in national water storage in recent years, according to the United Nations. The gains restored only about a quarter of the water lost since 2020, with storage remaining below one-fifth of total system capacity.

In southern Dhi Qar, provincial desertification adviser Haider Saadi said more than 10,500 families, or nearly 60,000 people, were displaced by water shortages, while 98% of wetlands and agricultural areas became barren. More than 15,000 buffalo died and around 90% of fish stocks were lost over four years.

Iraq remains among the world’s five most climate-vulnerable countries, according to UN assessments. Its latest climate plan shows crop yields have fallen around 17%, while soil salinization affects 54% of agricultural land. The World Bank has also warned that the gap between Iraq’s water supply and demand could widen to 11 billion cubic meters by 2035, threatening food security and economic activity.

Still, in July, Iraq’s parliamentary Agriculture and Water Committee cautioned that improved water levels had not ended the country’s strategic water threat, with southern provinces still facing displacement and agricultural decline.

Read more: Rising Euphrates waters revive hopes in central Iraq

Shafaq News- Basra

An Iraqi media figure and activist has been detained until August 26 after the Border Ports Authority filed a complaint over social-media posts about procedures at the Shalamcheh crossing with Iran, an informed source told Shafaq News on Monday.

The Publication and Media Court ordered Mustafa Abdul Razzaq Reda Al-Mayahi held while investigators question him over posts calling for private civilian vehicles to be allowed into the crossing and for the cancellation of a 3,000-dinar (around $2) entry fee.

Shalamcheh is one of Iraq’s main crossings with Iran. On March 15, Aqeel Al-Furaiji, head of the Security and Border Ports Committee in the Basra Provincial Council, said around 3,000 passengers were using the crossing daily, while about 428 trucks had entered its commercial exchange yard.

Read more: The New era of control: Can Iraq's free press survive its rulers?

Shafaq News- Samarra

Iraq's state-owned General Company for the Pharmaceutical Industry andMedical Supplies in Samarra has added the antibiotic moxifloxacin to itslocally produced medicines for the first time.

The company's director general, Mohammed Abdul Qader al-Nuaimi, said ina statement that the drug is a broad-spectrum antibiotic used to treat severalbacterial infections in adults, including pneumonia, acute flare-ups of chronicbronchitis, acute sinus infections, and skin and soft-tissue infections.

Al-Nuaimi added that the new production would help supply the HealthMinistry and the domestic market while reducing reliance on imported medicines.

Former Health Ministry spokesman Saif Al-Badr told Shafaq News that Iraqoperates around 40 pharmaceutical and medical-supply factories producing morethan 650 therapeutic products and items. The produced medicines and medicalsupplies meet more than 40% of national demand.

Shafaq News- Baghdad

The director general of Iraq’sstate-owned Middle Euphrates Electricity Distribution Company received asix-year prison sentence for allegedly accepting a bribe in exchange forreleasing payments owed to a company, the Federal Integrity Commissionannounced on Monday.

The Central Anti-Corruption CriminalCourt issued the sentence and handed the same term to an employee at thecompany, while also fining the two defendants 10 million Iraqi dinars ($7,600)after finding the evidence sufficient for conviction.

Earlier today, Iraq’s ElectricityMinistry removed 11 officials from key power plants and departments, includingthe directors of the Al-Hartha and Al-Nasiriya thermal power plants.

Read more: Corruption arrests in Iraq pass 210 under PMal-Zaidi

Shafaq News- Baghdad/ Basra

Iraqi oil workers protested in Baghdad andseveral provinces on Monday against new government rules for pricing crude oil,warning the changes could hurt refinery companies, weaken domestic refiningcapacity and increase Iraq's reliance on imported fuel.

Imad al-Qatrani, a representative of theprotesters, told Shafaq News that a cabinet decision adopted on Aug. 18requires refineries to buy crude at the lower of the price set by Iraq's stateoil marketing company, SOMO, or the price established in the state budget,after a 30% annual deduction.

Arguing that the decision conflicts withIraq's 1997 oil companies law, which allows companies to retain part of theirrevenues to cover operating costs, develop facilities and pay workers, hecalled the new pricing mechanism unfair and stressed it could weaken profitablerefining companies that rely on their own revenues to fund their operations.

Oil workers in Baghdad also protested proposedsalary deductions, while similar demonstrations took place at the KarbalaRefinery and among oil workers in Kirkuk province.

The Iraqi government had previously outlinedplans to use savings from the 30% deduction to increase state revenues andmaximize returns from crude oil. It is also seeking to expand export capacityand diversify routes for Iraqi oil shipments after the closure of the Strait ofHormuz sharply affected the country's oil trade.

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

Read more: Protests spread across Iraq overjobs, unpaid salaries

Shafaq News- Baghdad

Iraq's Ministry of Electricity removed 11 officials from key powerplants and departments, including the directors of the Al-Hartha andAl-Nasiriya thermal plants, Shafaq News learned on Monday.

According to an official document, the changes also affected branchmanagers responsible for warehouses, procurement and other administrativefunctions at the two plants and other southern departments.

Since taking office as Electricity Minister in May 2026 under PrimeMinister Ali Al-Zaidi, Ali Saadi Wahib has replaced several officials in seniorpositions. Among those previously dismissed were Alaa Samir, general manager ofthe Central Electricity Distribution Company, and his office director,following corruption allegations.

Read more: Corruption arrests in Iraq pass 210 under PM al-Zaidi

Shafaq News- Baghdad

As temperatures top 50 degrees Celsius across parts of Iraq this August, the country’s date palms are entering their peak ripening season, with growers expecting a strong harvest even as water shortages, salinity and rising production costs put increasing pressure on orchards.

Abbas Ali, a member of Iraq’s farmers’ associations, told Shafaq News that the date industry has shown a marked recovery in recent years, with annual production exceeding 850,000 tonnes and the number of palms continuing to increase.

Around 700,000 tonnes are exported to Arab and international markets, he said, making dates a major component of Iraq’s agricultural exports.

Read more: How Baghdad’s Backyards Are Bringing Back Iraqi Dates

August is a critical stage in the date-growing cycle, when fruit progresses from the khalal and bisr stages to rutab and eventually fully ripened dates. High temperatures are essential for this process, helping increase sugar content and improve quality.

Agricultural expert Jassim Mohammed told Shafaq News that Iraq’s hot, dry summer provides favorable conditions for major varieties including Zahdi, Khastawi, Barhi and Khadrawi.

But extreme heat becomes a threat when combined with insufficient water.

Mohammed said higher temperatures increase palms’ irrigation needs and can expose fruit to heat stress and premature dropping when water supplies are inadequate. He called for wider adoption of modern irrigation systems and stronger agricultural extension programs.

He said Iraq has more than 22 million date palms, placing it first globally in the number of trees and fourth in date production.

Read more: The Black Land: Four decades оf land reclamation threatens Iraqi agriculture

Water Scarcity Hits Growers

In Wasit, farmer Jabbar al-Hajjami said growers are facing a difficult season because of extreme temperatures and reduced water releases, although better irrigation management has helped preserve the crop.

Farmers increasingly irrigate at night and in the early morning to reduce heat-related losses, he said, predicting production could nevertheless exceed last season’s.

In Babil, farmer Haider al-Rubaie described August’s extreme heat as a “double-edged sword.” While it accelerates the ripening of varieties such as Zahdi and Khastawi, it also increases palms’ water requirements just as rivers and irrigation channels are running low.

Al-Rubaie called for greater government support for irrigation equipment and pest-control programs to maintain crop quality and limit losses.

Conditions are more complicated in Basra, where farmer Ali Hussein said orchards along the Shatt al-Arab face the combined pressures of extreme heat, increasing salinity and declining freshwater supplies.

Read more: From drought to saltwater: Iraq's deepening water crisis

Palms are still producing good yields, he said, but growers need better marketing, packing and cold-storage facilities. Some of Basra’s varieties have strong demand abroad, he added, but inadequate infrastructure can result in post-harvest losses.

Read more: Salinity and drought ravage Iraq’s historic farmlands

Shafaq News- Baghdad

209 local and international companies on Sunday took part inIraq’s 17th Agricultural Week exhibition in Baghdad, showcasing agriculturalmachinery, crop and livestock production, and food products.

The exhibition, held at the Baghdad International Fair underthe slogan “Supporting Agriculture for a Sustainable Future,” opened on August22 and includes both public- and private-sector participants.

Mohammed Janchi, an agricultural engineer representing aTurkish company at the event, told Shafaq News that he hoped the exhibition wouldlead to new trade agreements, adding the exhibition had gotten off to a goodstart.

Speaking to Shafaq News, a sales manager at Iran’s SepahanDana company called for simpler customs procedures for companies and traders,indicating that the changes could help boost trade between Iraq and Iran.

The exhibition also features Iraqi artwork alongside itsagricultural and commercial displays, with Iraqi women artists presentingpaintings, sculptures, and palm-frond handicrafts to visitors.