Shafaq News- Baghdad

The Islamic Resistance in Iraq (IRI) on Saturday reported 171 alleged violations of Iraqi airspace by US military and reconnaissance aircraft between Sept. 30 and Oct. 23, while criticizing the government’s recent closure of border crossings with Iran as a move driven by US pressure.

In a statement, IRI, an umbrella group of Iran-aligned armed factions, accused Washington of violating Iraqi sovereignty and failing to honor its commitments to Baghdad, urging the federal government to explain the reported airspace violations.

Questioning how Iraq could exercise full sovereignty while “facing continued foreign interference in its decisions,” the group said closing airports and border crossings with Iran undermined Baghdad’s ability to act independently.

It also voiced support for Iran, describing its confrontation with Israel and the United States as “Zionist-American aggression” and framing the conflict as a struggle between “right and wrong.”

Iraq closed Al-Sheeb border crossing on Tuesday until further notice, without providing additional details. The move prompted Tehran to criticize Baghdad for acting without prior notice, arguing that the closure violated notification requirements under a bilateral agreement between the two countries.

Earlier today, Iran’s embassy in Iraq denied allegations by Iraqi Prime Minister’s adviser Abdul Amir Taiban that Al-Sheeb crossing had been closed because of drugs and counterfeit currency. The embassy also called on the relevant authorities to address the allegations, warning that they could damage relations between the two countries.

Read more: Can Iraq’s economy weather a wider regional shock? Experts differ

Shafaq News- Baghdad/ Tehran

Iran’s embassy in Iraq on Saturday denied allegations thatAl-Sheeb border crossing had been closed over drugs and counterfeit currency,describing claims by Iraqi Prime Minister’s adviser Abdul Amir Taiban as false.

The embassy also urged the relevant authorities to addressthe allegations, warning they could harm relations between Iraq and Iran.

تنفي سفارة الجمهورية الإسلامية الإيرانية في العراق بشدة الادعاءات الكاذبة التي أطلقها عبد الأمير تعيبان، مستشار رئيس الوزراء العراقي، بشأن إغلاق منفذ الشيب بذريعة انتشار المخدرات والعملة المزورة. وتتوقع السفارة من الجهات المعنية اتخاذ موقف إزاء ادعاءات تضر بالعلاقات بين البلدين. https://t.co/rexa1s5QPc

— السفارة الإيرانية - بغداد (@IRAN_in_IRAQ) October 24, 2026

Iraq shut Al-Sheeb crossing on Tuesday until furthernotice, without providing further details. The move prompted Tehran tocriticize Baghdad for acting without prior notice, arguing that it violatednotification requirements under a bilateral agreement between the twocountries.

On September 12, Iraqi authorities temporarily suspendedoperations at the same facility, along with the Shalamcheh and Mandali borderposts, to review security and administrative procedures.

Shafaq News- Baghdad

Iraqi Prime Minister AliAl-Zaidi revealed on Friday that Iraq narrowly avoided internationalisolation, coming “within days” of facing sanctions and the withdrawal offoreign embassies.

In an interview with state-runAl-Iraqiya TV, Al-Zaidi explained that Western governments had viewed Iraq as “astate controlled by armed factions,” but his administration had managed toavert the threat, saying that three armedgroups had agreed to place their weapons under state control, whilenegotiations with four others remained underway. “By June 30, 2027, no weaponswill remain outside state authority.”

Read more: Iraq's second US troop withdrawal shifts the testto armed factions

Characterizing the decision asirreversible, he said the departure of foreign troops had removed “alongstanding justification” for armed factions to retain their weapons. He alsoasserted that no US military personnel, including advisers, remained in Iraq.

The prime minister outlinedarrangements for Turkish forces to withdraw and hand over the Bashiqa base tothe Iraqi army, alongside an agreement with Peshmerga forces concerning MountSinjar and the integration of personnel into the Popular Mobilization Forces(PMF), a state-linked paramilitary umbrella.

On regional tensions, Al-Zaidireiterated Iraq’s commitment to avoiding military conflicts while facilitatingdialogue between opposing parties.

He rejected closing the borderwith Iran, citing the economic consequences for both countries. “Closing theborder with Iran means economically besieging ourselves,” he warned, expressingconfidence that negotiations would eventually resolve the regional crisis.

Read more: Can Iraq’s economy weather a wider regional shock? Experts differ

Anti-Corruption Campaign

Al-Zaidi acknowledgedpolitical pressure over his anti-corruption drive but credited his governmentwith weakening “corrupt networks” over the past five months.

Authorities have identifiedseveral locations holding funds targeted for recovery and introducedpre-signing reviews of government contracts to detect irregularities, he said,insisting that “investigations would proceed regardless of political,sectarian, or ethnic affiliations.”

Read more: Iraq’s Dawn Crackdown spreads through state institutions

Housing And Economic Plans

The prime minister announcedplans to distribute one million free residential plots with basic services bythe end of 2027, potentially benefiting around six million Iraqis. Anelectronic platform will screen applicants to exclude those who already ownproperty.

He also proposed developingmodern residential cities featuring lakes, golf courses, and other amenities,with a Generations Fund overseeing land development and investment. Hisadministration is considering allocating 20 to 30 dunams of agricultural landper family to encourage a market-oriented economy while preserving socialprotections.

Shafaq News- Baghdad

US concerns over dollars reaching armed factions haveaffected cash shipments to Iraq, with Baghdad seeking shipments of up to $2.5billion to narrow the exchange rate gap, Prime Minister Ali Al-Zaidi said onFriday.

In an interview with Al-Iraqiya TV, Al-Zaidi said hisgovernment had increased monthly cash dollar supplies from $140 million to $500million and was working to raise US dollar shipments to more than $1 billionper month.

The government also aims to bring the dollar's exchange ratedown to 155,000 Iraqi dinars per $100 or less. “However, previous efforts tolower the dollar's value had failed to benefit citizens, with currencyspeculators profiting from the difference.”

According to Al-Zaidi, a higher dollar exchange ratesupports Iraq's industrial and agricultural sectors by making local productsmore competitive, while some neighboring countries flood the Iraqi market withsurplus goods, undermining domestic producers.

Read more: Traders struggle with Iraq's dinar devaluation

On oil revenues, Al-Zaidi said one million barrels of oilhad previously been sold to the Oil Ministry at 5,000 dinars (about $3.29) perbarrel, “creating opportunities for corruption.” The government has sincerevised domestic oil pricing, a move expected to generate around 20 trilliondinars ($13.2 billion) annually for the treasury. The revised pricing couldgenerate 80 trillion dinars ($52.6 billion) over four years, he added, notingthat the government had jailed people implicated in corruption involving OilMinistry contracts and audited those contracts.

Regional tensions have disrupted Iraq's oil exports, whilethe Strait of Hormuz crisis has prevented the country from benefiting fromhigher global oil prices, Al-Zaidi said. Baghdad is developing a pipelinenetwork and seeking to revive the Ceyhan route through Turkiye to diversifyexports and reduce its dependence on the strait.

Read more: Iraqi dinar devaluation sparks backlash from blocs inside the cabinet

Regarding taxes and customs duties, Al-Zaidi said the government had waivedcertain taxes and customs duties to lower the prices of essential goods,including fruits, vegetables, most food products, medicines, and solar energyequipment and systems.

Shafaq News- Baghdad

The Iraqi government on Friday condemned a deadly attack on St. George's Greek Orthodox Church in Jordan's Karak Governorate, describing it as a terrorist act carried out by extremist groups.

The government said the attack underscored the dangers of terrorism, recalling Iraq's own experience in confronting extremist violence.

It called for unity against groups threatening public security and peaceful coexistence, stressing the need to protect communities from sectarian violence.

Iraqi Foreign Minister Fuad Hussein had condemned the attack during a phone call with his Jordanian counterpart Ayman Safadi.

Earlier on Friday, Jordanian authorities reported six deaths and 28 injuries in a preliminary toll. The country's Public Security Directorate later raised the figures to seven killed and 34 wounded.

Shafaq News- Baghdad

Iraqi Foreign Minister Fuad Hussein condemned an attack on mourners at achurch funeral in southern Jordan during a phone call with his Jordaniancounterpart Ayman Safadi on Friday.

Hussein expressed Iraq's solidarity with Jordan in fighting terrorism,offered condolences to the victims' families, and wished the wounded a speedyrecovery.

The attack took place in Jordan's Karak Governorate todayresulting in 7 deaths and injuring 34 others.

Shafaq News- Nineveh

An Iraqi parliamentary committee ordered the Nineveh Provincial Councilto immediately suspend nominations for two senior administrative posts inSinjar, warning that the process violates the constitution and applicable law.

In a letter to the council's chairman, the Regions, Governorates,Planning, Government Program, and Religious Endowments Committee said thenominations for Sinjar district mayor (qaimaqam) and al-Shamal subdistrictdirector are “unlawful because neither post is vacant.” It noted that finalrulings by the Administrative Court and the Supreme Administrative Court haveconfirmed that the current officeholders, Sido Khairi and Dawood Jundi, wereelected through “proper procedures.”

Read more: KDP pushes for resolution of Sinjar leadership dispute

The committee stressed that heads of administrative units cannot bereplaced or dismissed outside the questioning and removal procedures set out inthe Law of Governorates Not Incorporated into a Region (No. 21 of 2008), asamended.

It asked the provincial council to hand over the minutes of the relevantsessions and explain the legal bagvbsis for its decision. It also said it hasformed a parliamentary fact-finding committee to investigate the case.

Read more: Over 110,000 Sinjar residents still displaced after nearly 12 years

Shafaq News- Dhi Qar

Three political blocs in Iraq’s Dhi Qar Provincial Councilare disputing control of the province’s Investment Commission, a source toldShafaq News on Thursday.

The dispute involves the National Approach, theReconstruction and Development Coalition, and Al-Makina, the source said.

The blocs are competing for three positions: the mayor ofNasiriyah, the director general of the Dhi Qar Health Directorate, and the headof the provincial Investment Commission. However, their differences havecentered on the commission’s leadership, the source added.

If the blocs reach an agreement, the provincial council isexpected to hold an extraordinary session in the coming days to settle theappointments. Candidates being considered for the investment commissionpost include Haider al-Asadi, the current director of Dhi Qar’s sewagedepartment; businessman Ali al-Kharsan; and Wahab al-Hamdani, according to thesource.

Meanwhile, Dhi Qar Governor Haider al-Husseinaoui hasappointed Sadiq al-Khafaji as acting head of the Investment Commission untilthe provincial council selects a permanent head.

The commission’s former head, Ali al-Dakhili, recentlybecame minister of tourism and antiquities in the government led by PrimeMinister Ali al-Zaidi.

Shafaq News- Baghdad

Iraqi Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi’s office on Thursdayappointed Ambassador Nizar Issa Abdulhadi al-Khairallah as deputy foreignminister for bilateral relations, according to a document obtained by ShafaqNews.

The office also ended Ambassador Mohammed Hussein MohammedAli Hadi Bahr al-Uloom’s assignment to the post following an order transferringhim to Iraq’s embassy in The Hague, the document showed.

The decision was made with the approval of al-Zaidi, thedocument stated.

Shafaq News- Nineveh

The Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) called on Thursday for the selection of a new Sinjar district administrator through the Nineveh Provincial Council, warning against attempts to inflame public tensions or claim exclusive representation of the Yazidi community.

Ahmed Al-Kiki, head of the KDP bloc in the council, told Shafaq News that opening nominations was necessary to resolve the administrative deadlock.

Read more: Iraqi parliament orders halt to Sinjar nominations

Al-Kiki questioned how one person could claim to represent all Yazidis or the largest political bloc, saying the community numbered between 600,000 and 700,000 people and could not be represented solely on the basis of tens of thousands of votes. “The council is not under anyone's control,” he said, stressing that the decision belonged to its members and representatives of the various communities, including Yazidi quota representatives and KDP lawmakers.

He criticized those who complained about the absence of a district administrator while opposing the nomination process, calling for a qualified candidate capable of overseeing Sinjar's reconstruction and the return of displaced residents.

Sinjar remains contested between Iraq's federal government and the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG), while rival political factions and armed groups, including Yazidi forces linked to the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) and factions affiliated with the Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF), have competed for influence in the district.

The dispute intensified after ISIS seized Sinjar in 2014, killing and abducting thousands of Yazidis and displacing much of the community. Despite the group's defeat, competing security and administrative structures have complicated reconstruction and the return of displaced families.

A 2020 agreement between Baghdad and Erbil called for appointing an independent district administrator, reorganizing local security and removing unauthorized armed groups. However, the agreement remains only partly implemented, leaving control over Sinjar's administration and security unresolved.

Shafaq News- Riyadh

Iraqi Foreign Minister Fuad Hussein on Thursday reaffirmedBaghdad’s firm position against allowing Iraqi territory to be used as alaunchpad for attacks threatening the security of Saudi Arabia and othercountries in the region.

During a phone call with Saudi Foreign Minister Faisal binFarhan, the two officials reviewed bilateral relations and ways to strengthen cooperationacross various fields, particularly security, to address current regionalchallenges.

Hussein condemned attacks on Saudi Arabia on behalf of theIraqi government and rejected any harm to civilians or civilian facilities. Forhis part, bin Farhan expressed Saudi Arabia’s support for the Iraqigovernment’s efforts to reduce tensions and its continued efforts to workjointly with neighboring countries to strengthen regional security andstability.

سمو وزير الخارجية الأمير #فيصل_بن_فرحان @FaisalbinFarhan يتلقى اتصالًا هاتفيًا من معالي وزير خارجية جمهورية العراق الشقيقة السيد فؤاد حسين. https://t.co/5y7pFo4C4q

— وزارة الخارجية 🇸🇦 (@KSAMOFA) October 22, 2026

Shafaq News- Baghdad

Iraqi Prime Minister Ali Al-Zaidi is expected to discuss reviving the Kirkuk–Baniyas oil pipeline, border security and religious tourism during his upcoming visit to Syria, a government source told Shafaq News on Wednesday.

The source said Baghdad would propose completing and restoring the pipeline or developing alternative export routes with a capacity of at least two million barrels per day, aiming to reduce Iraq's reliance on the Strait of Hormuz amid regional shipping disruptions.

Another priority will be completing the security barrier along the Iraq-Syria border, including a remaining section on the Syrian side extending no more than 180 kilometers.

According to the source, Baghdad may offer to complete the unfinished section itself in exchange for guarantees protecting Iraqi interests.

Al-Zaidi is also expected to discuss arrangements for Iraqi religious pilgrims visiting holy sites in Syria, including possible memoranda of understanding and bilateral agreements to facilitate travel.

The source added that the visit would involve US air support and logistical assistance because of security risks in the region. No further details were provided about the nature of the reported American involvement.

Earlier on Wednesday, another government source told Shafaq News that Al-Zaidi would visit Lebanon and Syria next week, leading an official delegation to discuss issues of mutual interest. Lebanon will be the first stop, followed by Syria, before the prime minister returns to Baghdad.

Shafaq News- Washington

Washington expects Iraqi Prime Minister Ali Al-Zaidi tofulfill the commitments he made to President Donald Trump during his visit tothe United States last July, the US State Department said on Wednesday, accusingIran of exploiting armed factions to plunder Iraq's resources and threaten itssovereignty.

A US State Department spokesperson told Shafaq News that"the United States expects Al-Zaidi to counterterrorism, prevent attacks in and from Iraqi territory, and build a US-Iraqpartnership that serves both countries' interests."

"Our goal remains unchanged: a sovereign, secure, andprosperous Iraq that delivers for its people and strengthens the region,"the spokesperson added, stressing that Iran has no constructive role to play inthis effort. “It is an untrustworthy actor with a long history of using Iraqimilitias to steal resources from the Iraqi people and threaten Iraq'ssovereignty."

The US position followed growing American pressure onBaghdad to tighten controls at border crossings with Iran, amid concerns thatthey could be used to transport equipment and materials that may reach armedgroups.

Read more: Iraq's second US troop withdrawal shifts the test to armed factions

The latest security understandings between Baghdad andWashington date back to Al-Zaidi's visit to the White House on July 14, when hemet with President Trump. The issue of armed factions and preventing attackslaunched from Iraqi territory topped the discussions between the two sides,alongside the future of security and economic cooperation.

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio also reiterated the needto dismantle armed militias, prevent attacks originating from Iraq, andstrengthen the state's sovereignty over its territory during his meeting withAl-Zaidi on September 21.

Read more: How Iran’s ‘unity of fronts’ strategy is changing across the Middle East

Shafaq News- Baghdad

Iraq's Harakat Al-Nujaba rejects the terms "restriction," "handover," and "disarmament" regarding the "sacred weapons of the resistance," military deputy Abdul Qader Al-Karbalaei said on Wednesday.

Read more: Iraq's Al-Nujaba reiterates opposition to disarmament

https://t.co/zask6gANZl

— عبد القادر الكربلائي (@abdul_qader1oct) October 21, 2026

Dismissing reports circulated by some media outlets as false, Al-Karbalaei said the movement's decision not to participate in Iraq's political process also remained firm and unchanged. Al-Nujaba will remain “among Iraqis, share their hardships and concerns, and advocate for their rights, while expressing hope for a prosperous, fully sovereign Iraq free from corruption,” he added.

Read more: Iraq's second US troop withdrawal shifts the test to armed factions

The statement comes as Prime Minister Ali Al-Zaidi pursues a plan to bring weapons outside state institutions under government control by June 30, 2027. On October 5, Al-Zaidi said three Iraqi armed factions had handed over their weapons, and two others had agreed to do so, while negotiations over weapons-control arrangements continued.

Read more: How Iran’s ‘unity of fronts’ strategy is changing across the Middle East

Shafaq News- Baghdad

Iraqi Prime Minister Ali Al-Zaidi has appointed formerlawmaker Hadi al-Salami as an adviser on border crossings, customs andtransportation, an informed source told Shafaq News on Wednesday.

The prime minister’s office had not yet clarified the dutiesand powers assigned to al-Salami under the appointment, the source added.

An official statement is expected shortly.

Shafaq News- Baghdad

Iraq’s Independent High Electoral Commission (IHEC) said onWednesday that Riyad Al-Hamidawi would replace lawmaker Hassan Al-Khafaji asmember of the country’s sixth parliamentary term.

A decision by the commission’s Board of Commissionersshowed that Al-Hamidawi, a Baghdad candidate for the Reconstruction andDevelopment Bloc led by former Prime Minister Mohammed Shia Al-Sudani, received7,634 votes, the second-highest tally on the bloc’s list.

Al-Khafaji, also known as Hasanain Al-Khafaji, waspreviously sentenced to two years of rigorous imprisonment by Iraq’s CentralCriminal Court for Combating Corruption after being convicted of extortion. Thecourt convicted him under Article 452 of Iraq’s Penal Code No. 111 of 1969, asamended.

Al-Khafaji was among 47 officials arrested during the firstphase of the Dawn Crackdown anti-corruption campaign.

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

Shafaq News-Baghdad

Iraqi PrimeMinister Ali al-Zaidi is expected to make official visits to Lebanon and Syrianext week, leading a government delegation to discuss a range of shared issues,a government source told Shafaq News on Wednesday.

Lebanon willbe the first stop, after which al-Zaidi will travel to Syria before returningto Baghdad, the source said.

Al-Zaidivisited Riyadh last Wednesday on the first leg of a Gulf tour that alsoincludes Kuwait. The visit followed an earlier trip planned for July 29 thatwas canceled amid rapidly escalating security tensions after US-Saudi strikeson PMF positions in Iraq.

Shafaq News- Baghdad

Iraqi politicalleaders are discussing a proposal to move Iranian Kurdish opposition groups outof the Kurdistan Region (KRI) and house them elsewhere in Iraq, as part ofefforts to resolve the issue of their presence on Iraqi soil, political sourcestold Shafaq News on Wednesday.

One option underdiscussion is a facility in south-central Iraq, with Samawah in Al-Muthannaprovince among the locations being considered, one source said.

The source said theidea draws on previous arrangements used for political and security reasons,citing Rafha camp and Iraq's past hosting of members of the Mujahedin-e Khalq(MEK).

Read more: Iraqi–Iranian Security MoU rekindles a decade of border deals—and old controversies

Handing the groups'members over to Iran has been ruled out for now, a second source said. Movingthem to central or southern Iraq could serve as a temporary solution and openthe way for some to be resettled in Europe later.

The idea has come upseveral times in Iraqi political circles, particularly at meetings of theruling Shiite Coordination Framework, but no decision has been taken, thesecond source said.

Iranian Kurdishopposition groups have kept camps in the Kurdistan Region for decades. OnOctober 12, Kurdistan Region President Nechirvan Barzani said the KRI hadwarned them at the start of the regional war between Iran and the United Statesthat they would not be allowed to attack Iran from its territory.

Read more: Iranian Kurdish opposition rejects disarmament in Iraq

Shafaq News- Baghdad

The Iraqi Cabinet approved eliminating customs duties on imported solarenergy systems on Tuesday, according to Prime Minister Ali Al-Zaidi's mediaoffice.

Separately, the Cabinet authorized the ElectricityMinistry's General Company for Electricity Transmission in the Northern Regionto sign a contract for the supply of 600–1,000 megawatts of electricity.

Read more: Can solar power alter Iraq’s reliance on oil?

The government also authorized the Agriculture Ministry toallow imports of all agricultural crops through December 31, 2026, to supportfood security.

The Cabinet also issued decisions concerning health,maritime transport, oil, and water security, while newly appointed ministerstook an oath of honor during the session.

Shafaq News- Baghdad

Iraq’s Reconstruction and Development parliamentary bloc onTuesday outlined a mechanism for distributing parliamentary committees amongpolitical blocs, with allocations based on established criteria.

Firas al-Mislmawi, the bloc’s spokesman, told Shafaq Newsthat the Coordination Framework (CF), a coalition of Shiite political forces,decided at its regular meeting on Monday to form a technical committee tooversee the allocation process.

The committee will include mid-level leaders from theFramework’s constituent groups and other parliamentary blocs affiliated withthe coalition.

Its members are expected to meet to discuss the proposedmechanism, taking into account each bloc’s political weight and parliamentary representation.Under the plan, committees will first be allocated among political groupsaccording to their respective shares, then grouped into three categories: A, Band C.

Category A includes the Security and Defense, Finance,Investment, and Energy and Natural Resources committees. Category B coversEducation, Higher Education, Planning, Agriculture and other service-relatedcommittees. Category C includes Culture, Youth and Sports, among others.

Al-Mislmawi explained that each committee would carry a specificnumber of points, with Category A committees assigned higher scores than thosein the other categories.

Following the technical committee’s meeting, expected onTuesday or Wednesday, its members will present a proposed allocation plan topolitical forces for agreement. The plan will then be referred to parliamentarybloc leaders, who will hold internal votes to elect committee chairs,al-Mislmawi said.

Shafaq News- Najaf

Najaf Provincial Council Chairman Hussein al-Issawiannounced on Tuesday that the council had unanimously approved a proposal toestablish a province named “Holy Kufa” within Kufa’s current administrativeboundaries, including its subdistricts, describing the vote as an importantdevelopment in the proposal’s progress.

According to the proposal document obtained by Shafaq News,the request calls for upgrading Kufa’s administrative status from a district toa province, citing its religious, historical, and cultural significance, itsmosques and shrines associated with religious and historical figures, and itsattraction of millions of visitors throughout the year.

The document also cites continued population growth and urbanexpansion in Kufa and its subdistricts, along with the need to provideresidents with essential services. It highlights the role of Kufa’s residentsin Iraq’s national affairs during different periods in the country’s history.

Hussein Walid al-Issawi submitted the proposal, and thedocument shows that several provincial council members supported it.

Kufa is one of Iraq’s historic cities and a district inNajaf province, in the country’s Middle Euphrates region. Located on the banksof the Euphrates River, it lies about 156 kilometers south of Baghdad and 10kilometers northeast of Najaf city.

The city is also considered one of the five holy cities forShiite Muslims, alongside Najaf, Karbala, Samarra, and Kadhimiya. 

Read more: Wasit governor rejects plan for new Suwaira province

Shafaq News- Baghdad

Iraq’s Independent High Electoral Commission announced onTuesday that Hussein Ahmed Hadi Hussein al-Maliki and Ali Mohammed Ahmed Khamanal-Faili would replace Yasser Abd Sukhail Mohammed Hussein al-Maliki and MohsenAli Akbar Namdar al-Mandalawi, respectively, as members of the country’s sixthparliamentary term.

Two decisions issued by the commission’s Board of Commissionersshow that Hussein al-Maliki, a candidate for the State of Law Coalition (SLC)in Karbala province, will replace Yasser al-Maliki after receiving 16,294votes. He was the second-highest vote-getter on the coalition’s list.

Ali al-Faili, who ran for the Iraqi Foundation Coalition inBaghdad province, will replace al-Mandalawi after receiving 4,234 votes. He wasthe fourth-highest vote-getter on his list.

On October 15, 2026, the Council of Representatives voted toappoint Yasser al-Maliki as interior minister and Mohsen al-Mandalawi as deputyprime minister, as part of Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi’s efforts to completehis government lineup.

Shafaq News- Baghdad

Iraqi Parliament Speaker Haibet al-Halbousi on Monday backedthe government’s legal measures to maintain public order, enforce the law,bring weapons under state control, and hold accountable anyone found to haveincited violence or threatened citizens’ security and the country’s stability.

In a statement, Al-Halbousi said the measures comply withthe constitution and applicable laws while safeguarding rights, freedoms, andlegal protections and ensuring that the law applies equally to everyone.

Earlier in the day, the Iraqi government directed stateinstitutions to enforce the law and file criminal complaints against those whouse the media to incite violence or obstruct state decisions aimed at bringingweapons under state control.

Al-Halbousi warned against exploiting those freedoms toincite violence or internal fighting or to support the possession of weaponsoutside state control, noting that “workshops involving relevant authoritiesand international organizations were continuing to refine the draft law.”

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

Shafaq News- Nineveh

Regional pressure and interference are holding up theselection of a new district chief for Sinjar, Nineveh Provincial Council memberAhmed al-Abd Rabbo said on Monday, urging that the district be kept out ofexternal conflicts and narrow partisan disputes.

Speaking at a news conference, al-Abd Rabbo said the disputeover Sinjar’s administration had gone beyond local and administrativedisagreements. He rejected the suggestion that divisions within the provincialcouncil were responsible for the delay.

Al-Abd Rabbo stressed that the decision should be made byIraqis and reflect the wishes of residents, helping restore stability and easethe suffering of displaced people.

On Sunday, a local source told Shafaq News that politicalrivalries and competition among influential factions over the appointment hadintensified. The source linked the dispute to a broader contest over politicalinfluence and administrative appointments across districts and subdistricts inNineveh province, which has prevented the parties from reaching a consensus andending the administrative vacuum in Sinjar.

Shafaq News- Najaf

Political pressure among Western allies may be contributing to Europe'sunrest, Patriotic Shiite Movement (PSM) leader Muqtada Al-Sadr said on Monday,accusing Washington and Israel of exerting influence over the continent.

Al-Sadr initially raised the possibility of a "European spring"driven by economic hardship and public frustration, then warned of a"European autumn" marked by political decline. He ultimatelyquestioned both comparisons, suggesting that the turmoil could insteadrepresent a settling of scores among allies aimed at forcing Europeangovernments to support US military campaigns.

Al-Sadr linked the continent's economic difficulties to the closure of theStrait of Hormuz, the war in Ukraine, the US-Israeli conflict with Iran, andtensions between Washington and Beijing. He also predicted that the US wouldincreasingly rely on proxy warfare, leaving its partners facing military anddomestic consequences whether they participated or refused.

Turning to the Middle East, Al-Sadr urged Arab and Muslimcountries to strengthen their unity, reassess relations with Western powers,and pursue reconciliation between Gulf states and Iran. He also called on SaudiArabia and parties in Yemen to end their conflict, warning that continuedfighting could expand US influence and fuel further proxy wars in Iraq,Lebanon, and Syria.

Read more: Iran war spreads to Iraq and Red Sea as regional risks mount

https://t.co/d6LFaM7ll6

— مقتدى السيد محمد الصدر (@Mu_AlSadr) October 19, 2026