By John Lee. Iraq's Commission of Integrity and the Iraqi National Security Service have signed a cooperation agreement aimed at strengthening joint efforts to combat corruption and crimes that threaten national security and Iraq's economic interests. The agreement covers the exchange of information on corruption suspects and the recovery of stolen assets, as well as investigations […]
By Dr Neil Melvin and Dr Burcu Ozcelik, for the Royal United Services Institute (RUSI). Any opinions expressed here are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of Iraq Business News. Turkey's Balancing Act: Prospects for Stabilisation in Syria and Iraq Can Turkey act as a stabilising force in Syria and […]
By John Lee. Major international entertainment and sports organisations have launched a coordinated campaign urging the Iraqi government to shut down illegal streaming platforms that are costing the country's potential digital media market up to $1 billion annually. The campaign follows the Iraq Without Piracy Summit held in Baghdad in February, which brought together local, […]
By John Lee. The US Department of State has designated four Iraqi groups as Foreign Terrorist Organizations (FTOs), describing them as Iran-aligned militia groups (IAMGs): Harakat al-Nujaba; Kata'ib Sayyid al-Shuhada; Harakat Ansar Allah al-Awfiya; and Kata'ib al-Imam Ali. Full statement from the US Department of State: The United States remains committed to countering Iran, the […]
By John Lee. National Security Advisor Qasim al-Araji met on Tuesday with Russian Security Council Secretary Sergei Shoigu and his accompanying delegation, in the presence of the Russian Ambassador in Baghdad. Al-Araji welcomed the visit, noting that Iraq is pursuing wider cooperation with all countries to serve mutual interests. Discussions focused on strengthening bilateral relations […]
The College of Engineering at the University of Sulaimani has formally signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Irish Emergency Logistics Team during a ceremony held in Erbil. The event was attended by Assistant Professor Dr. Sirwan Khurshid, Dean of the College of Engineering at the University of Sulaimani, Andrew Paisley, British Consul General […]
By Akeel Abbas for the Atlantic Council. Any opinions expressed here are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of Iraq Business News. Can Iraq's partial crackdown on a powerful militia weaken Iran's proxies? The Iraqi government's unprecedented accusation that the US-designated Kataib Hezbollah (KH) carried out a deadly armed attack […]
By John Lee. The United Kingdom has issued a new report on "actors of protection" in Iraq. The country policy and information note (CPIN) provides country-specific information on who might provide protection or cause harm within a particular country, including state and non-state actors. Click here to download the full report. To browse our comprehensive […]
By John Lee. Chinese Deputy Ambassador to Iraq, Xue Haifeng, has told the state-owned Iraqi News Agency (INA) that Iraq-China cooperation continues to gain momentum, covering sectors ranging from energy and development to agriculture and defence. He emphasised that high-level exchanges have played a central role in strengthening bilateral ties, citing recent meetings between Chinese […]
By John Lee. Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia Al-Sudani (pictured) has directed the formation of a high-level investigative committee to examine allegations of corruption involving the mixing and smuggling of crude oil and petroleum products, both at Iraqi ports and within the country's territorial waters. Sudani stressed that there would be zero tolerance in handling […]
By John Lee. The U.S. Department of the Treasury's Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) has imposed sanctions on a network of shipping companies and vessels led by Iraqi-Kittitian businessman Waleed al-Samarra'i, accused of smuggling Iranian oil disguised as Iraqi-origin crude. According to the Treasury, the network covertly blended Iranian oil with Iraqi oil and […]
By John Lee. South Korea's Hyundai Everdigm has signed a contract for the provision of various firefighting and rescue vehicles, spare parts, and training services to Iraq's Ministry of Interior. The contract, valued at 135,280,288,000 KRW [$97 million], represents 38.09% of the company's most recent annual revenue of 355,118,376,929 KRW [$256 million]. It is set […]
