Key Takeaways:
- POLITICS: UNAMI Chief Updates Security Council; Iraq and Syria to Reopen Strategic Border Crossing – On June 10, the head of the UN Assistance Mission for Iraq (UNAMI), Mohammed al-Hassan, presented his latest periodic update to the Security Council. He noted that Iraq’s Independent High Electoral Commission (IHEC) has been “making notable progress” with UNAMI’s support in preparing the country for elections in November, while acknowledging that challenges remain, “including logistical concerns.” Turning to the plight of Iraq’s Yazidi community, Hassan urged Baghdad and neighboring countries “to take all necessary measures to protect this community and to…ensure their return to their homes and areas with dignity and honor.” The UNAMI chief also welcomed the resumption of talks between Iraqi and Kuwaiti legal and technical experts tasked with the demarcation of maritime borders. Hassan noted that UNAMI has already closed its offices in Mosul and Kirkuk ahead of its planned departure by the end of the year. On June 12, Syrian border authorities announced that the Albu-Kamal border crossing with Iraq will reopen to the movement of passengers and goods starting Saturday, June 14. Syrian officials described the reopening of the route, closed since December, as a strategic step toward reviving economic ties between Iraq and Syria. In other developments, government employees in several departments in Sulaymaniyah went on strike to protest delays in salary payments amid a new financial crisis caused by escalating disputes between the federal government and the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG). On June 12, IHEC extended the deadline for eligible voters to update their records until June 20. IHEC said that 21,223,319 voters had been registered as of Thursday—a figure notably lower than the 22,116,368 registered IHEC reported during the 2021 elections. more…
- SECURITY & HUMANITARIAN: U.S. Pulls Baghdad Embassy Staff Citing Heightened Security Risks – On June 11, the U.S. government ordered the evacuation of non-essential personnel from its embassy in Baghdad, citing security concerns. President Donald Trump said the move was precautionary, warning that the Middle East “could soon be a dangerous place” amid rising tensions with Iran over its nuclear program. The State Department also authorized the voluntary departure of U.S. personnel from its missions in Bahrain and Kuwait. A military spokesperson for Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed al-Sudani said Baghdad had seen no indications of any specific threats impacting security and noted that all other foreign diplomatic missions in Iraq were operating as usual. In other developments, on June 9, Iraq’s Defense Ministry announced that army engineers were conducting a large-scale operation to clear natural obstacles exploited by ISIS militants in the Wadi Zghaytoun region of Kirkuk province. The work involves redirecting watercourses, dredging reed growth, draining swamps, and building raised outposts to improve control over an area long known as a militant hotspot. On June 10, the Defense Ministry said it had received two new H225M Caracal helicopters under an agreement with France to purchase 14 of the aircraft. more…
- ECONOMY & CLIMATE: Government Cancels Summer Crop Irrigation Plans as Water Shortage Worsens – On June 10, officials from Iraq’s Water Resources Ministry announced that they had informed farmers in all provinces that irrigation-dependent farming for the summer season would be canceled to conserve water amid worsening shortages. Available water will instead be dedicated to providing drinking water until the next rain season begins in November, according to the director of Water Resources in Salah ad-Din province. Last month, Iraqi officials warned that the country’s water reserves had fallen to their lowest levels in 80 years following a season of scant rainfall. In related news, officials at the Dukan Dam in Sulaymaniyah said the 7-billion-cubic-meter reservoir—the largest in the Kurdistan region—was more than three-quarters empty. Meanwhile, agriculture officials in Basra reported that large numbers of animals have died due to increasing pollution and salinity in the waters of the Euphrates River. In other developments, on June 5, an explosion occurred during maintenance work at a production facility in the Ajil oil field, injuring five oil workers. This was the second such incident at Ajil this month. On June 9, Iraq’s State Oil Marketing Organization (SOMO) said it exported more than 2.539 million tons of fuel oil during the first quarter of this year—down from 4.216 million tons in the fourth quarter of 2024. 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.