By John Lee. Mark Savaya, US President Donald Trump's special envoy to Iraq, has said that corruption must be tackled decisively if Iraq is to achieve stability, arguing that militias are a symptom rather than the root cause of the country's challenges. He identified fake payrolls, fake loans, and fictitious assets as major sources of […]
By Hasan Hamra, for the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace. Any opinions expressed here are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of Iraq Business News. The Hezbollah Disarmament Debate Hits Iraq Beirut and Baghdad are both watching how the other seeks to give the state a monopoly of weapons. Click […]
By Michael Knights for the Combating Terrorism Center (CTC) at West Point. Any opinions expressed are those of the author(s), and do not necessarily reflect the views of Iraq Business News. Rise of the E-Militias: Designated Terrorist Groups Infest Iraq's Digital Economy Iraq's digital economy is one of its fastest-growing sectors, driven by an expanding […]
From Amwaj Media. Any opinions expressed are those of the author(s), and do not necessarily reflect the views of Iraq Business News. PMU's economic arm under pressure as Iraq telecoms deal sparks ire Iraq has been shaken by claims that Iran-backed armed groups are aiming to gain control of the country's data network. The full […]
From Amwaj Media. Any opinions expressed are those of the author(s), and do not necessarily reflect the views of Iraq Business News. Tensions soar as Pentagon chief 'issues final warning' to Iraq over armed groups Iraq has received a claimed "final warning" from the US that Iran-backed armed factions must sit out a potential renewed […]
By Mohammed A. Salih 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. Why Washington's anti-PMF moves are testing the Iraq partnership Recent measures from the Trump administration against Iraq's Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF) -- a 240,000-strong force with an […]
By John Lee. An Iraqi government spokesman has said Iraq views recent US sanctions against Iraqi enities, including the Muhandis General Company [Sharakat al-Muhandis al-Amma], as "deeply regrettable," describing it as a unilateral action that contradicts the spirit of friendship and mutual respect between the two countries. Basim Alawadi added that the Prime Minister has […]
By John Lee. The US Department of the Treasury's Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) has imposed new sanctions targeting individuals and companies accused of helping the Iranian regime evade US sanctions, smuggle weapons, and engage in corruption through networks operating in Iraq. According to a statement from OFAC, the designations target Iraq-based financial and […]
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 […]
From Amwaj Media. Any opinions expressed are those of the author(s), and do not necessarily reflect the views of Iraq Business News. Baghdad rescinds PMU legislation as US forces redeploy to Iraqi Kurdistan Under reported threat from the US, Iraq's government has withdrawn a controversial draft law that would have significantly reshaped the country's Popular […]
By John Lee. The US State Department has reiterated its opposition to proposed legislation in Iraq concerning the Popular Mobilisation Forces (PMF), warning that it could increase Iranian influence and undermine Iraq's sovereignty. Speaking at a press briefing on Tuesday, State Department Spokesperson Tammy Bruce (pictured) said Washington opposed any legislation inconsistent with the goals […]
By Michael Knights, for the Washington Institute for Near East Policy. Any opinions expressed are those of the author(s), and do not necessarily reflect the views of Iraq Business News. Leveraging Iran's Defeat to Strengthen U.S.-Iraq Security Relations Tehran's Iraqi proxies mostly sat out the twelve-day war, but this pragmatic restraint will not forestall growing […]
