Key Takeaways:
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Parliament Fails To Elect A New Speaker; Sudani Discusses Future Security Cooperation With NATO, Revives Plans To Visit Washington – On January 14 Iraq’s parliament failed to elect a new speaker to replace Mohammed al-Halbousi, whose tenure was ended by Iraq’s top court last November. The inconclusive vote may indicate that factions comprising the Coordination Framework were unable to unite behind one candidate. Of the 314 lawmakers present, 152 gave their votes to Shalan al-Karim, backed by the ousted Halbousi, the KDP, Ammar al-Hakim, Haider al-Abadi, and independent lawmakers. The second vote getter was Salim al-Issawi, backed by Khamis al-Khanjar and some factions from the Coordination Framework, who received 97 votes. Mahmoud al-Mashhadani, backed by Muthanna al-Samarraie (and reportedly by Nouri al-Maliki and Qais al-Khazali) came in third with 48 votes. Parliament adjourned the session without setting a new date for resuming the process. On January 17, PM Sudani met in Davos with NATO Secretary General, Jens Stoltenberg, and discussed the future of cooperation between Iraq and NATO, and Iraq’s plans to end the presence of U.S.-led Coalition forces. Sudani stressed that Iraq “does not mind” cooperation with the individual member states of the International Coalition with regard to equipping and training its security forces “within the framework of bilateral relations” with those states. Sudani also had talks with Jake Sullivan, President Biden’s National Security Advisor, during which they agreed to set a specific date for a previously announced plan for a visit by Sudani to Washington. In other developments, on January 17, KRG PM Masrour Barzani canceled a meeting with Iran’s Foreign Minister, Hossein Amir-Abdollahian, to protest Iran’s ballistic missile attack on Erbil earlier this week. Abdollahian has defended Tehran’s actions, saying that Iran had reliable intelligence about Israeli Mossad agents operating from the targeted sites. He further argued that Iran’s actions were justified within the framework of a border security agreement signed with Iraq last year. more…
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Iran Fires Ballistic Missiles At Erbil Targeting Alleged Mossad Operations – On January 16, Iran’s military fired 11 ballistic missiles at civilian targets in Erbil, killing at least four people, including two prominent businessmen and a child, and wounding several. KRG PM Masrour Barzani called the strike a “crime against the Kurdish people,” and urged the Baghdad government to take serious action to protect the region, saying that such aggression must not go without a response. The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps of Iran (IRGC) claimed that its missiles targeted spying facilities run by the Israeli Mossad, adding that it also fired additional missiles at groups linked to ISIS in Syria’s Idlib province. Iraq’s National Security Adviser, Qassim al-Aaraji, said that Iran’s claims were “baseless.” Iraqi PM Mohammed al-Sudani said the attack “undermines the strong relations between Iraq and Iran.” Meanwhile, Iraq’s Foreign Affairs Ministry said it recalled Baghdad’s ambassador from Tehran and summoned the Iran’s charge d’affaires to deliver a letter of protest. Iraq also sent a formal complaint to the UN Security Council. In other developments, between January 11 – 16, Iran-backed Iraqi militias launched at least six new attacks on U.S.-led International Coalition forces in Iraq and Syria using rockets and explosive drones. Most of the latter were shot down and there were no reports of casualties. The militias also claimed another cruise missile attack on central Israel, without providing specifics. On January 13, Turkish airstrikes hit multiple PKK targets in the Kurdistan region, reportedly killing 36 PKK fighters, after the group killed nine Turkish soldiers inside Iraq. On January 14, ISIS militants killed three Iraqi soldiers in an attack on their checkpoint in Anbar province. more…
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Iran Cuts Gas Supplies To Iraq; Erbil To Receive Regular Monthly Payments In Accordance With Federal Budget Provisions – On January 12, Iraq’s Electricity Ministry said that Iranian gas supplies to power plants in central and southern Iraq dropped by more than 75% to just 10 million cubic feet per day, causing the country’s grid to lose more than 4,000 megawatts. On January 14, Iraq’s Council of Ministers said the federal government will start making monthly budget payments to the KRG based on actual expenditures as determined under the Iraqi budget law. The new mechanism replaces the monthly loans that the KRG has been receiving from Iraqi state-owned banks since last fall to cover the salaries of civil servants in the Kurdistan region. The move comes after KRG PM Masrour Barzani made a new diplomatic push in Baghdad to secure the financial interests of his government, during which had talks with PM Sudani and several key political leaders, including Nouri al-Maliki. In other developments, on January 18, Iraq’s Integrity Commission said that the Director General of the state-owned Iraqi Cement Company was arrested on charges of soliciting $500,000 in bribes from investors in exchange for awarding a contract for the overhaul and development of the Badush Cement Factory in Ninewa province. more…
For more background on most of the institutions, key actors, political parties, and locations mentioned in our takeaways or in the stories that follow, see the ISHM Reference Guide.