Shafaq News- Tehran

US pressure will not affect relations between the Iraqi and Iranian peoples, Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baqaei told a press conference on Monday, describing the two countries as permanent neighbors "destined to live side by side."

“Iraqis would not forget that when they faced harsh sanctions from the United Nations and regional states, Iran stood by them as a sincere ally and disregarded those sanctions and pressures,” he said, expressing confidence that shared interests, pursued through dialogue between Iran, Iraq and other neighbors, would ultimately prevail over any external pressure or threats.

Read more: Iran’s undersea cable threat raises risks for Iraq

Iraqi Foreign Minister Fuad Hussein said earlier that the United States had formally asked Iraq to close all but two of its border crossings with Iran, a position that came after Baghdad closed the Al-Sheeb border crossing with Iran.

Saeed Jalili, the Supreme Leader's representative on Iran's Supreme National Security Council, also criticized US policy toward Baghdad. Washington, he said, entered Iraq on the pretext of toppling Saddam Hussein yet still requires Iraqi oil revenues to go first to the US Treasury, which then decides how much Iraq may use.

Read more: Nuclear strike on Iran: how exposed is Iraq?

Shafaq News- Baghdad/ Erbil

Gold prices rose in Baghdad and Erbil on Monday, hovering around 970,000 IQD per mithqal, according to a Shafaq News survey.

On Baghdad’s Al-Nahr Street, 21-carat Gulf, Turkish, and European gold sold for 967,000 IQD per mithqal (five grams), with a buying price of 963,000 IQD, compared with 960,000 IQD on Sunday.

The selling price for 21-carat Iraqi gold stood at 937,000 IQD, while the buying price reached 933,000 IQD.

In jewelry stores, the selling price per mithqal of 21-carat Gulf gold ranged between 970,000 and 980,000 IQD, while Iraqi gold sold for between 940,000 and 950,000 IQD.

In Erbil, 22-carat gold was sold at 1,027,000 IQD per mithqal, 21-carat gold at 982,000 IQD, and 18-carat gold at 842,000 IQD.

Shafaq News- Basra

Employees of Basra Oil Company on Monday closed the Al-Mirbad gate at the Burjesiya site, the entrance to BP's facility, in protest over delayed payments and an unresolved land allocation, vowing to keep it shut until their demands are met.

Ahmed Ali, a representative of the employees, told Shafaq News that the protesters want the rest of their 2024 dues paid and their 2025 dues settled in full. They are also demanding that authorities finalize the distribution of 8,000 dunams (about 2,000 hectares) of land allocated to them in the Al-Sabkh area and hand over title deeds.

The demands also include three fingerprint check-ins a day for shift workers, wider and larger incentive points covering all staff, and payment of other outstanding entitlements. Ali urged the Oil Ministry and other authorities to intervene.

Separately, Basra Provincial Council head Khalaf Al-Badran held a closed meeting with representatives of protesters in Al-Sadiq district, attended by a ministerial delegation sent by Prime Minister Ali Al-Zaidi. The delegation is led by the oil minister and includes the ministers of construction and housing and of planning. It arrived in Basra on Monday morning to hear protesters' demands in the province's north.

Protests have spread across northern Basra in recent days. Protests in Al-Sadiq have continued for more than five days near the West Qurna 1 oil field, and hundreds in neighboring Al-Deir began an open-ended sit-in on Saturday, demanding better services, jobs and the completion of delayed projects.

 1 Iraqi dunam = 2,500 m²

Shafaq News- Erbil

Erbil has sufficient household gas reserves to meet residents' needs following the drone attack on the Khor Mor gas field, Governor Omed Khoshnaw said on Monday, warning the strike would disrupt electricity production.

On Sunday, unidentified drones struck a "sensitive area" at the Khor Mor gas field in the Chamchamal district of Al-Sulaymaniyah province, triggering power outages in several parts of the Kurdistan Region of Iraq (KRI). No casualties were reported, but the attack forced a complete halt to gas production and exports from the field.

The Kurdistan Region's Ministry of Electricity had earlier said the disruption in gas supplies would reduce electricity generation by 2,500 to 2,800 megawatts, as several major power plants depend on gas from the field.

Read more: Source: Khor Mor drone attack launched from Saladin

Shafaq News- Baghdad

The US dollar opened Monday's trading steady in Baghdad and slightly higher in Erbil, hovering around 168,500 dinars per 100 dollars.

According to a Shafaq News market survey, the Al-Kifah and Al-Harithiya exchanges in Baghdad recorded 168,600 dinars per 100 dollars, unchanged from Sunday's rate.

Exchange shops in Baghdad sold the dollar at 169,000 dinars and bought it at 168,000 dinars per 100 dollars.

In Erbil, selling prices rose slightly to 168,450 dinars and buying prices to 168,350 dinars per 100 dollars.

Shafaq News- Washington/ Baghdad

US imports of Iraqi crude oil and petroleum products fell sharply to 1.387 million barrels in August 2026, down from 10.234 million barrels in the same month last year, marking an 86.4% year-on-year decline, according to data from the US Energy Information Administration (EIA).

Total US imports of Iraqi oil reached 37.482 million barrels in the first eight months of 2026, compared with 61.692 million barrels during the same period in 2025, a decrease of 24.21 million barrels, or 39.2%.

Monthly figures show that US imports of Iraqi oil declined from 10.649 million barrels in January 2026 to 504,000 barrels in June, before rising to 1.486 million barrels in July and easing to 1.387 million barrels in August.

Weekly EIA data show that the United States has gone six consecutive weeks without importing Iraqi crude.

Iraq's oil sector has been hit by the closure of the Strait of Hormuz, a strategic waterway through which roughly 20% of the world's oil supply passes. According to the Iraqi Oil Ministry, the disruption has reduced oil production from around 3.5 million barrels per day (bpd) to approximately 1.3 million bpd, while exports have fallen to about 800,000 bpd.

Iran, which claims control over the waterway, has nevertheless exempted Iraq, India, China, and Qatar from its shipping restrictions, allowing vessels from the four countries to pass through the strategic Strait.

Read more: Hormuz shutdown could slash Iraq's oil revenues 80%

Shafaq News- Al-Sulaymaniyah

A drone attack on the Khor Mor gas field in the Kurdistan Region sparked a fire that has since been extinguished, forcing UAE-based Dana Gas to suspend production, the company announced on Monday.

"Production operations remain suspended pending an assessment of the damage," Dana Gas said in a statement. The operator indicated that further updates would follow but provided no timetable for resuming production.

The company also confirmed that it is coordinating with the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) and Iraq's federal authorities, both of which have expressed support following the attack.

Earlier today, a local source told Shafaq News that the drone was likely launched from a mountainous area near Tuz Khurmatu in Saladin province. However, the launch site and those behind the attack have yet to be identified, pending the outcome of ongoing security and technical investigations.

Iraqi Prime Minister Ali Al-Zaidi ordered the formation of a joint investigative committee with authorities in the Kurdistan Region to investigate the incident.

Khor Mor is one of Iraq's major gas-producing fields. Operated by Pearl Petroleum, a consortium that includes UAE-based Dana Gas and other partners, the field supplies gas to power plants across the Kurdistan Region.

Shafaq News- Baghdad

Iraqi security forces arrested six people in two separate operations in Baghdad, including a woman wanted in a human trafficking case and two suspects detained on drug charges, a security source told Shafaq News on Monday.

In the first operation, security forces arrested a man and a woman in the capital's Al-Karrada district under Article 28 of the Narcotics Law. They also seized drug-use paraphernalia and an electronic scale suspected of being used in drug trafficking.

Separately, security forces detained a woman born in 2006 who was wanted under an arrest warrant in a human trafficking case. After placing her under surveillance, they ambushed her in Baghdad's Al-Jihad district.

A search of her house uncovered small gas cylinders, lighters, and tubes used for drug consumption, according to the source. Security forces also detained three other occupants: a girl born in 2009 who lives in Erbil, and two men born in 2004 and 2003.

The identities of those detained were not disclosed.

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

Shafaq News

Oil prices were steady on Monday after US ‌President Donald Trump downplayed the likelihood of new strikes on Iran, though attacks on ships near the Strait of Hormuz kept supply concerns in focus.

Brent inched up 3 cents to $98.35 a barrel by 0427 GMT, ​while US West Texas Intermediate rose 0.5% to $91.30 a barrel.

Brent fell 16% last week, ​the steepest weekly drop since the start of the COVID pandemic.

"Despite the ⁠recent optimism surrounding a potential diplomatic breakthrough, the underlying geopolitical risks remain elevated, and the ​possibility of renewed military escalation cannot be ruled out," said Sugandha Sachdeva, founder of SS ​WealthStreet, a New Delhi-based research firm.

"The market appears to be pricing in a relatively optimistic scenario of de-escalation, even though a comprehensive agreement between Washington and Tehran has yet to materialise," she said.

Trump said on Sunday ​he was highly unlikely to order fresh attacks on Iran as long as talks to ​end the conflict progress, even as both countries reported that shipping had been hit in or near ‌the Strait ⁠of Hormuz.

He had hinted at renewing attacks on Iran after last week's US midterm elections, but there has been no sign of a large-scale US military operation. Iran has said it would respond by striking US and Israeli targets.

Tim Waterer, chief analyst at KCM Trade, called ​Trump's comments "more measured" but ​said "the market is ⁠still waiting to see whether the midterms have produced a lasting shift in Trump’s approach to the conflict, or whether this is just ​another temporary change in tone."

Oil is headed for a glut again as ​recovering Middle ⁠Eastern oil flows, rising production from other countries and weak demand have pushed global supply above consumption, JPMorgan said in a report on Friday, estimating a surplus of 1.1 million barrels per day ⁠in September, ​widening to 1.4 million bpd in October.

Separately the Iran-aligned Houthis claimed ​responsibility for an attack on Saudi Aramco's offices in the capital Riyadh on Sunday that left windows blown out ​but no reported casualties.

(Reuters)

Only the headline is edited by Shafaq News.

Shafaq News- Saladin

The drone that struck the Khor Mor gas field in the Chamchamal district of the Kurdistan Region's Al-Sulaymaniyah province was likely launched from a mountainous area near Tuz Khurmatu in Saladin province, a local source told Shafaq News on Monday.

Security agencies are investigating the suspected launch site and working to identify those responsible for the attack. However, the exact launch location and the perpetrators have yet to be established, pending the results of security and technical investigations.

On Sunday, another source told Shafaq News that unidentified drones struck a "sensitive area" at the Khor Mor gas field, triggering power outages in several parts of the Kurdistan Region of Iraq (KRI). No casualties were reported, but the attack forced a complete halt to gas production and exports from the field.

Iraqi Prime Minister Ali Al-Zaidi ordered the formation of a joint investigative committee with authorities in the Kurdistan Region to investigate the incident.

Khor Mor is one of Iraq's major gas-producing fields. Operated by Pearl Petroleum, a consortium that includes UAE-based Dana Gas and other partners, the field supplies gas to power plants across the KRI.

Shafaq News- Al-Sulaymaniyah

Gas production and exports at the Khor Mor field in Al-Sulaymaniyah province, in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq (KRI), have stopped completely following a drone attack, a source at the facility told Shafaq News on Monday.

The source did not disclose the extent of the damage or when operations might resume.

The Kurdistan Region's Ministry of Electricity said the disruption in gas supplies would reduce electricity generation by 2,500 to 2,800 megawatts, with several major power plants relying on gas from the field.

Following the attack, Iraqi Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi ordered a joint investigation with Kurdish regional authorities to determine the circumstances of the strike.

Shafaq News- Baghdad/ Karbala

Iraq's property market is showing signs of a broad slowdown, with sales falling in Baghdad, the Kurdistan Region and several provinces, while some real estate offices in Karbala have gone nearly a month without completing a single deal.

Local broker Abu Ali told Shafaq News that, in one example, a house in Karbala previously offered for around 100 million Iraqi dinars ($65,789) was now being offered for between 60 million ($39,474) and 75 million ($49,342), depending on its location and specifications. Agricultural land sales have also declined, with few buyers and property owners increasingly reluctant to sell.

He linked the slowdown to the rising US dollar exchange rate on the parallel market, which climbed above 160,000 dinars and reached around 168,000 dinars per $100, prompting potential buyers to postpone purchases.

Dollar Pressures and Purchasing Power

Speaking to Shafaq News, economist Mustafa Al-Faraj said Iraq's reliance on oil revenues and imported building materials leaves the property market vulnerable to exchange-rate fluctuations. A stronger dollar raises construction and finishing costs, while housing prices remain closely tied to the US currency despite many buyers earning limited incomes in dinars.

He called for economic diversification, stronger domestic production, improved household incomes, and wider access to housing loans and financing.

Read more: Iraq turns to bank borrowing to cover August salaries amid oil-revenue collapse

Government Measures and Market Uncertainty

According to economist Dhiya Al-Mohsen, the slowdown reflects a gap between buyers' and sellers' expectations, with some owners demanding prices based on past transactions while buyers consider those prices unjustified.

Government measures targeting corruption and illicit funds have contributed to the slowdown, Al-Mohsen said, citing the Dawn Crackdown campaign launched by Prime Minister Ali Al-Zaidi's government on June 28, 2026.

Other factors cited by Al-Mohsen include the Aqari real estate platform, changes to property-transfer procedures, and taxes on buyers and sellers. Registration costs, municipal fees, and fines have increased transaction expenses, prompting some buyers to delay purchases.

Meanwhile, the government's Watan Initiative aims to distribute one million serviced residential plots to eligible Iraqi families, alongside plans for new housing developments. According to Al-Mohsen, these announcements have encouraged some prospective buyers to postpone purchases in the hope of obtaining land or housing at lower prices.

Read more: Iraq's Dawn Crackdown moves from raids to rulings

Shafaq News- Dhi Qar

A court in Nasiriyah on Sunday sentenced five municipality employees to two years' rigorous imprisonment for deliberately breaching their official duties by manipulating property records, according to a security source and a copy of the ruling obtained by Shafaq News.

The Nasiriyah Misdemeanor Court for Integrity Cases found that the five had entered property data into beneficiaries' accounts before allocation records arrived from the provincial government and were archived, despite the absence of supporting transactions for the beneficiaries, in order to benefit individuals at the state's expense.

The court convicted them under Article 331 of Iraq's Penal Code, which covers public officials who intentionally violate the duties of their office, along with provisions on complicity.

In August, a Nasiriyah court issued arrest warrants for eight municipality employees, including a former director, and several staff and middlemen were arrested with forged seals and land documents. Investigators also found nearly 600 abandoned land files.

Shafaq News- Baghdad/ Erbil

Iraqi Prime Minister Ali Faleh al-Zaidi on Monday ordered the formation of a joint investigative committee with authorities in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq (KRI) following an attack on the Khor Mor gas field in Al-Sulaymaniyah province, according to the security media office of the commander-in-chief.

Initial reports indicated no casualties, the office said.

القائد العام للقوات المسلحة السيد علي فالح الزيدي يأمر بتشكيل لجنة تحقيق مشتركة مع الجهات المختصة في إقليم كوردستان العراق للوقوف على ملابسات حادث الاعتداء الآثم الذي وقع في الساعة 23:10 من يوم 8 تشرين الثاني الحالي، واستهدف حقل كورمور الغازي في قضاء جمجمال بمحافظة السليمانية، ولم يُسفِر الحادث عن أي ضحايا بشرية بحسب المعلومات الأولية. ===== الإعلام الأمني مكتب القائد العام للقوات المسلحة 9 تشرين الثاني 2026

— خلية الإعلام الأمني🇮🇶 (@SecMedCell) November 8, 2026

A local security source earlier said the attack was carried out by a drone and halted production at the field.

Khor Mor is one of Iraq's major gas-producing fields. Operated by Pearl Petroleum —a consortium that includes UAE-based Dana Gas and other partners— the field is a key supplier of gas used to fuel power plants across the KRI.

Shafaq News- Madrid

Fermín López scored twice as Barcelona came from behind to beat Atlético Madrid 2-1 on Sunday and restore its three-point lead at the top of LaLiga.

Giuliano Simeone put Atlético ahead in the 10th minute, finishing from close range after an assist from Julián Álvarez. Pedri had already struck the crossbar for Barcelona, while Joan García subsequently saved efforts from Lee Kang-In and Álvarez before López equalized with a left-footed finish in the 45th minute.

López completed the comeback in the 66th minute, collecting Lamine Yamal’s through ball and scoring with his right foot from inside the penalty area. Barcelona held on to end Atlético’s seven-match league winning streak.

The victory lifted Barcelona to 33 points from 12 matches, ahead of second-place Real Madrid on 30. Atlético remained third with 28 points, five behind the leader.

Both teams return to league action on November 22 after the international break, with Barcelona hosting Villarreal and Atlético visiting Getafe.

Shafaq News- Baghdad

Iraq and the US reviewed progress on agreements and memorandums of understanding signed during Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi's visit to Washington, Deputy Prime Minister for Energy Affairs Mohsen al-Mandalawi's office said on Sunday.

In a meeting, al-Mandalawi and US Chargé d'Affaires Stephen Fagin discussed turning the agreements into concrete steps to support economic development and strengthen bilateral ties.

Al-Mandalawi said Iraq seeks to attract US investment and advanced technology to develop its oil and gas fields, pledging government support and assistance to American companies interested in operating in the country. He linked these efforts to Iraq's plans to strengthen energy security and achieve self-sufficiency.

Fagin reaffirmed Washington's commitment to supporting Iraq's economic development and expanding cooperation in the energy sector, noting US companies' interest in investing in Iraqi projects.

During al-Zaidi's July 13–17, 2026, visit to the US, Iraqi and American institutions signed or announced 48 agreements, memorandums of understanding, and partnership declarations with a combined announced value exceeding $60 billion, covering oil, energy, electricity, industry, technology, telecommunications, finance, agriculture, education, and healthcare.

Read more: Iraq signs 63 foreign deals under Al-Zaidi, but analysts doubt delivery

Shafaq News- Olympia

Iraq's young Muay Thai fighters stepped onto the world stage on Sunday as the 2026 IFMA Youth World Championships opened in Greece's Ancient Olympia region, birthplace of the ancient Olympic Games.

The Iraqi Muay Thai Federation said the team was targeting podium finishes against rivals from 109 countries.

More than 800 athletes aged 8 to 18 are chasing medals across 154 divisions at the tournament, organized by the International Federation of Muaythai Associations (IFMA) and the Panhellenic Muaythai Federation. Under-12 to under-18 fighters compete in full-contact bouts. The program also features semi-contact technical events, the traditional Wai Kru and Mai Muay disciplines, and competitions for para and special athletes.

Action at the Ilis Congress Center in Skafidia, Western Greece, runs through Nov. 14, with medals presented and a Youth Awards Gala held on Nov. 15. It is the first time the youth championships have been staged in the region.

Shafaq News- Erbil

Kurdistan Region (KRI) President Nechirvan Barzani said on Sunday that regional coordination, dialogue and diplomacy are the key to keeping the region stable and resolving disputes, as he and a visiting Iranian delegation reviewed security agreements between Baghdad, Erbil and Tehran.

The two sides also agreed to expand cooperation in a range of fields.

Under a 2023 security agreement, Baghdad committed to preventing Iranian Kurdish opposition groups based in the Kurdistan Region from using Iraqi territory to attack Iran. Federal and Kurdistan Region officials reviewed its implementation in Erbil in August.

The talks come as Iraqi political forces weigh a proposal, revealed by Shafaq News last month, to move the Iranian Kurdish groups out of the Kurdistan Region to a center elsewhere in Iraq, an idea the groups have rejected.

Barzani said in October that the KRI had warned them at the start of the war that they would not be allowed to attack Iran from its territory.

سەرۆکی هەرێمی کوردستان پێشوازی لە شاندێکی کۆماری ئیسلامیی ئێران دەکات https://t.co/FNEtrFvHUI https://t.co/ewsBJJROaK

— Kurdistan Region Presidency (@KurdistanRegion) November 8, 2026

Shafaq News- Al-Sulaymaniyah

Unidentified drones targeted the Khor Mor gas field in the Chamchamal district of the Kurdistan Region's Al-Sulaymaniyah province on Sunday evening, a local source told Shafaq News.

The drones hit a "sensitive area" inside the field, causing power outages in several parts of the Kurdistan Region (KRI).

There was no immediate word on casualties or the extent of the damage, and no group claimed responsibility.

Khor Mor, operated by the UAE-based Dana Gas and Crescent Petroleum through the Pearl Petroleum consortium, is the Kurdistan Region's largest gas field and supplies fuel to power plants that generate much of the KRI's electricity.

The field has been targeted repeatedly in recent years. A drone attack in January 2024 temporarily halted production. In April 2024, another drone strike killed four foreign workers, wounded others, and cut gas supplies.

A drone attack on February 2, 2025, caused no casualties or damage, but a strike on November 26, 2025, set a gas storage tank on fire and halted supplies to the power plants.

Last July, Dana Gas suspended operations at the field for about 10 days after receiving security threats, saying it would resume production once the risks had subsided.

Read more: Khor Mor: A renewed wave of strikes exposes Kurdistan’s fragile energy security

Shafaq News- Dhi Qar

Archaeologists have uncovered part of an ancient bridge in the Mesopotamian city of Larsa in Iraq's Dhi Qar province, provincial Antiquities and Heritage Director Shamil Al-Rumaidh told Shafaq News on Sunday.

The bridge, named after King Sin-iddinam, crosses the city's main irrigation canal and was constructed using fired and paving bricks. Excavations have exposed only half of the structure, with work on the remaining section planned for future archaeological seasons, according to Al-Rumaidh.

The French archaeological mission also discovered a clay tablet containing an account of the bridge, offering new information about its history and use in the ancient city.

Al-Rumaidh explained that a French mission led by Regis Vallet conducted excavations between 2022 and 2026, uncovering six city gates, a palace, and a major temple. The mission also recovered around 15 artifacts from the palace, including clay tablets, pottery jars, and statues. This season's work focused on the bridge and temple, with no artifacts found inside the irrigation canal.

Located in northern Dhi Qar and also known as Tell al-Senkereh, Larsa flourished after the fall of the Third Dynasty of Ur —a Sumerian dynasty based in the ancient city of Ur. During King Sin-iddinam's reign, the city saw major construction projects, including temples dedicated to Tammuz and Ishtar and the Silasi Palace.

Archaeological excavations at Larsa began in 1950 under a French mission and resumed after 2003, revealing numerous historical structures and artifacts.

Read more: Discover Iraq: Dhi Qar, the forgotten gem of Mesopotamia

Shafaq News- Middle East

Gadi Eisenkot, leader of Israel's Yashar party, began coalition talks on Sunday evening, hours after President Isaac Herzog formally tasked him with forming the next government, Israeli media reported.

Herzog handed Eisenkot the mandate after 67 of the Knesset's 120 lawmakers recommended him, against 46 for Netanyahu, whose Likud is the largest party with 27 seats. Eisenkot has 28 days to form a government, extendable by 14. If he fails, Netanyahu could be given the chance next.

"We are at one of the most vulnerable moments Israeli democracy has ever known," Eisenkot said at the ceremony, urging all sides to compromise and warning against another election.

Neither camp holds a majority after the Oct. 27 election. Eisenkot's bloc of Yashar, Together, the Democrats and Yisrael Beytenu has 48 seats, Netanyahu's bloc has 53, and the Arab-led Ra'am and Joint List have 19. Eisenkot's initial plan, according to Israeli media, was a minority government of the four parties, with outside backing from Ra'am and possibly United Torah Judaism, which holds seven seats and recommended no candidate.

Eisenkot's bid to replace Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu faces an obstacle in Yisrael Beytenu leader Avigdor Lieberman, who rejects any minority government backed by Arab parties.

Lieberman, whose party holds seven of the bloc's 48 seats, has called a government dependent on Arab parties "not an option," Ynet reported. He wants a 61-seat government that includes the Haredi parties, or a new election. He is reportedly negotiating separately with United Torah Judaism and Shas and is willing to compromise on military conscription for Haredi men, previously one of his red lines. Eisenkot was set to meet Together co-leader Naftali Bennett on Sunday evening and Lieberman on Monday.

Netanyahu has called for a national unity government that would keep his current allies, including Itamar Ben-Gvir's Jewish Power. "There is only one choice, not national suicide, but national unity," he said. Yashar rejected the proposal unless Netanyahu cuts ties with his far-right partners.

Eisenkot does not plan to swear in a government this week, even if he reaches a coalition deal sooner, Ynet reported.

Shafaq News- Sanaa/ Riyadh

About 267 Houthi (Ansarallah) commanders and fighters were killed, wounded or fled the battlefield during air, drone and artillery strikes, forces loyal to Yemen’s internationally recognized government claimed on Sunday.

Military spokesperson Majed Abdullah Al-Nuzaili said warplanes carried out 19 airstrikes on Houthi positions, fighters, and vehicles in Marib, Taiz, and Tur Al-Baha, while drones flew 29 strike sorties targeting combat positions, vehicles, weapons, and equipment. Artillery and multiple rocket launchers conducted 944 attacks on Houthi concentrations, reinforcements, firing positions, fortifications, trenches, and sniper positions.

Al-Nuzaili also reported destroying or damaging 97 Houthi military vehicles, as well as artillery pieces and launchers, and destroying positions, fortifications, and firing sites. He said verification of the battlefield reports was continuing.

In Marib, troops from the Third, Sixth, and Seventh Military Regions continued confronting Houthi movements and targeting their positions, he said. In Taiz, government forces backed by the Popular Resistance continued fighting and repelling Houthi attacks, while targeting the group’s movements, concentrations and firing positions.

On the northern and Al-Jawf fronts, emergency units and Nation’s Shield forces made further advances on Sunday and cleared mines from previously recaptured areas, while on the southern and southwestern fronts, Nation’s Shield forces, the Giants Brigades and the National Resistance continued combat operations. Government forces captured several positions on those fronts, while fighting continued in other sectors, he claimed.

Separately, Saudi-led coalition spokesperson Maj. Gen. Turki Al-Maliki said two ballistic missile launchers had been destroyed in Saada after the Houthis used them in an attempted attack on Riyadh on Sunday. The coalition earlier announced intercepting five missiles targeting different parts of Saudi Arabia since dawn.

Houthi military spokesperson Yahya Saree said Saudi forces carried out a combined 91 airstrikes and missile attacks in the preceding 24 hours, targeting civilian sites in Saada, Taiz, Hajjah, Hodeidah, Al-Jawf and Lahj and killing and wounding civilians. F-15 and Typhoon aircraft flew from Khamis Mushait and Taif, while missiles were launched from Najran.

He put the cumulative total since the latest escalation began at 4,460 airstrikes and missile attacks.

Shafaq News- Baghdad

Saud Al-Saadi, head of the Kataib Hezbollah-affiliated Hoqooq parliamentary bloc, submitted parliamentary questions to Prime Minister Ali Al-Zaidi on Sunday over the hiring of advisers in his office, his personal wealth and alleged conflicts of interest.

Advisers

In a statement, Al-Saadi asked why the Advisers Commission's Instructions No. 1 of 2024 were issued "in violation of" the 2022 Advisers Law, which caps the number of advisers at 20. He requested the total number of advisers appointed and contracted, and asked why 69 of them had their contracts terminated under an Oct. 22 administrative order without completing financial clearance procedures.

He also sought details of their monthly salaries and bonuses and any legal action taken against them, giving the government 15 days to provide tables of terminated and serving advisers.

Wealth And Conflict Of Interest

In a second statement, Al-Saadi said he had sent simultaneous questions to Al-Zaidi and the head of the Integrity Commission on the prime minister's wealth, financial disclosure and potential conflicts of interest.

He asked how much Al-Zaidi was worth before his nomination, whether social media claims that his fortune reached 21 trillion dinars (about $13.8 billion) are accurate, and whether the commission had verified them. He also asked how many companies, business projects, universities, banks and shareholdings in Iraq and abroad are registered to Al-Zaidi, his immediate family and his brothers.

Several questions focused on Al-Owais General Trading Company and Al-Janoob Islamic Bank, whose board Al-Zaidi previously chaired. Al-Saadi asked whether Al-Owais is registered in the prime minister's name, what its capital is, and how many contracts it holds with the Trade Ministry and other state bodies, as well as how many shares Al-Zaidi owns in the bank.

He described Al-Owais's continuing Trade Ministry contracts as "a conflict of interest and a crime under the Integrity Law."

The lawmaker also asked whether Al-Zaidi had filed financial disclosure statements for himself and his family within the legal deadline, and when his business activities began and ended.

Mounting Tensions

The questions come as relations between Al-Zaidi and Kataib Hezbollah deteriorate. Talks on disarming armed factions have reached a near-deadlock, with Kataib Hezbollah among the groups refusing to give up their weapons and the factions intensifying their criticism of the prime minister.

Friction deepened after Al-Zaidi cancelled three leases at Mosul International Airport signed with companies linked to armed groups and ordered them reassigned to international firms, according to an informed source and contract documents obtained by Shafaq News. Kataib Hezbollah responded by urging the Integrity Commission to examine the finances of Hassan Al-Zaidi, the prime minister's brother, and denied controlling contracts at Iraqi airports.

A senior Kataib Hezbollah security official had earlier warned that Al-Zaidi's government would be toppled "by all means" if it failed to serve Iraqis. Al-Saadi has separately challenged the government's dinar devaluation before the Federal Supreme Court.

National Wisdom Movement leader Ammar Al-Hakim and Islamic Supreme Council leader Humam Hamoudi have begun mediating between Al-Zaidi and Kataib Hezbollah to avert a potential armed confrontation, another source familiar with the matter told Shafaq News.

Shafaq News- Dakar

Iraq’s Fatima Fadhel Al-Azzawi set a personal best while finishing seventh in the second 100-meter hurdles semifinal at the Dakar 2026 Youth Olympic Games on Sunday, the Iraqi Olympic Committee said.

The eight-runner race ended Al-Azzawi’s participation in the event. The committee said competing against athletes from other countries gave her an opportunity to gain international experience.

Shafaq News- Damascus

Some Syrian traders set prices using dollar exchange rates above prevailing market levels, economic studies professor at Damascus University, Ziad Arabsh, told Shafaq News on Sunday, as consumers continue to face high prices despite the pound's recovery.

Arabsh illustrated the practice with a hypothetical example of traders pricing goods at 15,000 old Syrian pounds per dollar, equivalent to 150 new pounds, against a market rate of 14,000 old pounds, or 140 new pounds, to protect against future currency fluctuations.

He identified three major challenges: a balance-of-payments deficit driven by imports, insufficient government funding for essential services, and a widening gap between wages and living costs. Higher electricity and service charges have further increased pressure on households.

Despite the public-sector salary increase introduced in May 2026, the official monthly minimum wage of SYP 12,560 remains insufficient to meet a household’s basic needs. According to WFP, it covers only 48 percent of the national Minimum Expenditure Basket (MEB) for a family of five —estimated at SYP 26,069 in July 2026— and 75 percent of the basket’s food component, estimated at SYP 16,825. This means that a minimum-wage public-sector salary falls short of the full cost of essential food and non-food needs, leaving households with a substantial monthly gap.

Trade and Domestic Production

Speaking to Shafaq News, Mohammad Orfali, head of the Investment and Real Estate Development Committee at the Damascus Chamber of Commerce, attributed rising prices to inflation and import costs, and called for increased exports to narrow Syria's trade deficit.

Neighboring countries impose tariffs on Syrian products while supporting their own industries, placing local manufacturers at a competitive disadvantage, Orfali said, adding that foreign factories can export surplus goods at lower prices because domestic sales already cover much of their fixed operating costs.

Although greater trade with Jordan, Lebanon, Iraq, and Turkiye could provide cheaper goods, Orfali questioned whether Syrian households could afford them without improvements in purchasing power.

Arabsh also cited monopolistic practices and market concentration, warning that some supply networks control the distribution and pricing of essential goods. He called for stronger enforcement of competition rules and closer scrutiny of retail prices against actual costs.

Proposed Measures

To improve purchasing power, Arabsh proposed three measures: direct cash assistance for low-income households, wage adjustments linked to inflation, and immediate support for farmers and manufacturers through subsidized seeds, fertilizers, and electricity.

He also called for protecting domestic production, reducing transport costs, expanding export markets, and improving infrastructure and investment transparency to strengthen Syria's economy.

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Note: Syria introduced a new currency on January 1, 2026, removing two zeros from the Syrian pound. Under the redenomination, 100 old Syrian pounds equal one new Syrian pound. Exchange rates quoted in old pounds are converted accordingly; the wage and household expenditure figures in this report are expressed in new Syrian pounds.