Attachments
Key Takeaways:
- POLITICS: Sudani In Kurdistan To Discuss Government Formation, Oil Exports, And Census Plans – On November 13, PM Mohammed al-Sudani visited Erbil for meetings with regional PM Masrour Barzani and other senior Kurdish leaders. Sudani’s talks with Barzani focused on resolving disputes over the salaries of civil servants in the Kurdistan region, preparations to hold a national population census, and resuming the halted oil exports from Kurdistan via Turkey. The visit comes a week after Sudani’s cabinet proposed to amend the federal budget law in a way that offers Erbil better terms regarding the recovery of oil production and transportation costs of oil produced in the Kurdistan region. The proposed amendment, which was the subject of discussions between Oil Minister Hayan Abdul-Ghani and the parliamentary finance committee on Wednesday, could be put to a vote before parliament within a month. Sudani also held talks in Sulaymaniyah with the leaders of the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK), New Generation, and other Kurdish parties, and offered to facilitate negotiations aimed at forming the next cabinet of the KRG. In other developments, on November 8, Sudani spoke on the phone with U.S. president-elect Donald Trump to discuss the future of U.S.-Iraq relations. On November 11, Iraq’s national security adviser arrived in Tehran for meetings with senior Iranian military and foreign policy officials during which he affirmed Iraq’s opposition to the use of its land or airspace for attacks on its neighbors. more…
- SECURITY & HUMANITARIAN: Militias Claim 13 New Attacks On Israel; Lebanese Refugees Arriving At 500 Per Day – Between November 8 – 14, the “Islamic Resistance in Iraq,” a front group for Iran-backed Iraqi militias, claimed that it conducted at least 13 new attacks with explosive drones against targets in various parts of Israel. This represents a decline from last week’s peak of at least 22 separate incidents. On November 14, the UNHCR reported that the number of Lebanese nationals who have arrived in Iraq after being displaced by fighting between Israel and Hezbollah has grown to almost 35,000. The figure represents an increase of nearly 4,000 new arrivals since last week. The displaced Lebanese are currently arriving at a rate averaging 500 per day, down from 700 per day during the previous week. The refugees are arriving primarily through al-Qaim border crossing with Syria and Baghdad airport. In other developments, on November 10, Iraqi F-16 jets killed four ISIS militants in an airstrike in the Himrin Mountains. On November 10, a Turkish armed drone struck a vehicle near Sinjar, killing two members of the Sinjar Resistance Units (YBS). more…
- ECONOMY: Iraq’s Grand Faw Port To Become Operational In 2026 – On November 12, the director of Iraq’s General Company for Ports said the Iraqi government has selected 11 shipping companies to submit bids for the operation of the country’s under construction Grand Faw Port. The competitors include companies from China, France, Taiwan, India, the Philippines, and the UAE, and Iraq expects to make an award decision by January of next year. Last week, Iraq announced that construction on the port’s five docks, managed by Daewoo Engineering & Construction, was complete, paving the way for the port to become operational in 2026. In other developments, on November 14, the governor of the Central Bank of Iraq met in Istanbul with his Turkish counterpart and the executives of Turkish banks operating in Iraq to discuss facilitating direct financial transactions between Iraq and Turkey. On November 14, PM Sudani instructed a high-level committee tasked with restructuring government institutions to seek the services of international consultants to design a standard structural framework for government ministries and state-owned enterprises. more…
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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.
POLITICS: Sudani In Kurdistan To Discuss Government Formation, Oil Exports, And Census Plans
On November 8, Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed al-Sudani spoke on the phone with U.S. President-elect Donald Trump to congratulate him on his election victory, a statement by Sudani’s office said. The two sides discussed U.S.-Iraq relations and the mutual interest in expanding cooperation in fields other than security, including energy, technology, and finance. Sudani and Trump also discussed the promises made by the president-elect during his campaign regarding ending wars in the Middle East and agreed to work together to achieve that end, the statement added.
On November 11, Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed al-Sudani participated in a summit of Arab and Muslim countries convened in Saudi Arabia to address the Israeli war in Gaza and Lebanon. In his address to the summit, Sudani highlighted the ongoing struggle’s roots in what he described as long standing occupation and human rights violations, which have led to significant casualties and displacement. Sudani also emphasized Iraq’s commitment to de-escalation and proposed a joint Arab-Islamic fund to rebuild Gaza and Lebanon. He also criticized inaction by the international community and reaffirmed support for an independent Palestinian state with Jerusalem as its capital. The Iraqi delegation registered its reservations about references to the “two-state solution” in the final statement issued at the summit’s conclusion, citing its conflict with Iraqi laws.
On November 11, Iraq’s national security adviser Qasim al-Araji arrived in Tehran for meetings with senior Iranian military and foreign policy officials, including Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, national security council chief Ali Akbar Ahmadian, Revolutionary Guard commander Hussein al-Salami, and Quds Force commander Esmail Qaani. During the talks, Araji affirmed Iraq’s opposition to having its land or airspace used in attacks against its neighbors, the national security adviser said in a statement. The discussions also focused on the border security agreement Baghdad and Tehran signed last year and cooperation in combating smuggling and drug trafficking, Araji added.
On November 13, Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed al-Sudani visited Erbil, the capital of the Kurdistan region, for meetings with regional prime minister Masrour Barzani and other senior Kurdish political leaders. Sudani’s talks with Barzani focused on resolving disputes over the salaries of civil servants in the Kurdistan region, preparations to hold a national population census this month, and resuming the halted oil exports from Kurdistan via Turkey. The visit comes a week after Sudani’s cabinet proposed to amend the federal budget law in a way that offers Erbil better terms regarding the recovery of oil production and transportation costs of oil produced in the Kurdistan region. The proposal, if approved by parliament, requires the Kurdistan regional government (KRG) to immediately start delivering its oil to the federal government. In return, as an interim arrangement, the latter would compensate the KRG for production and transportation costs at the rate of $16 per barrel. The two sides would then have 60 days to jointly hire an international consultant to calculate “the fair cost of production and transportation for each field separately” to be the basis for future settlement of transactions. The proposed amendment, which was the subject of discussions between Oil Minister Hayan Abdul-Ghani and the parliamentary finance committee on Wednesday, could be put to a vote within a month, according to a Kurdish lawmaker. Sudani’s visit also included meetings in Sulaymaniyah with the leaders of various political parties that won seats in last month’s legislative election in the region, including the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK), New Generation, the Islamic Union, and Tayar al-Mawqif al-Watani. The discussions are meant to support and facilitate negotiations aimed at forming the next cabinet of the KRG.
On November 13, Iraq’s Integrity Commission said that an anti-corruption court in Baghdad sentenced former Transportation Minister Kadhim Finjan al-Hamami in absentia to three years in prison. Hamami, who was a member of Nouri al-Maliki’s second cabinet (2010-2014), was found guilty by the court of “wilfully” committing violations in contracts to supply Iraqi Airways aircraft with fuel in foreign airports.
On November 13, Iraq’s Council of Ministers issued orders to confirm 16 senior officials at the Director General level in their positions, a government statement said. The directors were confirmed after being evaluated based on “mechanisms and standards…approved by the Council of Ministers,” the statement added. This is the latest in a series of appointments made by the government of Prime Minister Mohammed al-Sudani that began in December of 2023, and brings the total number of Director Generals appointed by Sudani to 266. [Note: The appointment of Director Generals and officials in similar coveted positions is a thorny and highly contested issue in Iraq. Many such positions are filled on acting basis as formal confirmations require (per article 61 of the constitution) a vote by parliament, which is often difficult due to entrenched and competing interests.]
Sources cited in this section include: INA, Iraq Observer, Shafaq, al-Sumaria, Kurdistan24, ISHM archive, PUKMedia, Iraqi PM’s office, NRT.
SECURITY & HUMANITARIAN: Militias Claim 13 New Attacks On Israel; Lebanese Refugees Arriving At 500 Per Day
On November 9, the “Islamic Resistance in Iraq,” a front group for Iran-backed Iraqi militias, claimed that it conducted two new attacks against unspecified targets in northern and southern Israel using explosive drones. On the following day, the group claimed that it conducted two more attacks with explosive drones against targets in northern and southern Israel. The operations continued on November 11, when the militias said they launched explosive drones against one more target in an unspecified location in northern Israel. The militias claimed two more attacks with explosive drones on November 12, which were aimed at targets in unspecified locations in northern and southern Israel. On Wednesday, the militias claimed two new drone attacks, one in central Israel and the second in the southern port city of Eilat. Finally, on Thursday, the militias claimed a total of four attacks, all of which were aimed at unspecified targets in northern Israel.
On November 10, Iraq’s Joint Operations Command (JOC) said that F-16 jets killed four ISIS militants in an airstrike that targeted their position in the Himrin Mountains in an area between Kirkuk and Salah ad-Din provinces. The airstrike also destroyed various explosives, weapons, and other supplies, the JOC statements added.
On November 10, security sources in Ninewa province said that a Turkish armed drone struck a vehicle in the area around Mount Sinjar. The strikes killed two members of the Sinjar Resistance Units (YBS), which Turkey considers to be part of the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK).
On November 12, security sources in Maysan province said that an improvised explosive device (IED) detonated in a residential area in al-Thawra neighborhood of central Amara. The explosion, which sources think targeted the home of a local contractor, caused material damage to the building and nearby vehicles, but there were no reports of casualties.
On November 13, the U.S. Central Command (CENCOM) said its forces struck weapon stores and supply depots used by Iranian-backed groups in Syria. The strikes were in response to an earlier rocket attack that targeted a base hosting U.S> forces at al-Shaddadi in eastern Syria the day before. CENTCOM did not specify whether the targeted groups were Iraqi militias, but the latter have been involved in numerous rocket and drone attacks against U.S. forces in Iraq and across the border in eastern Syria.
On November 14, security sources in Diyala province said that unidentified gunmen fired a rocket propelled grenade (RPG) at a building occupied by the Saraya al-Salam militia of Muqtada al-Sadr. The early morning attack in the Kenaan subdistrict injured two militiamen and damaged one of their vehicles.
On November 14, the UNHCR reported that the number of Lebanese nationals who have arrived in Iraq after being displaced by fighting between Israel and Hezbollah has grown to almost 39,000. The figure represents an increase of about 4,000 new arrivals since last week. The displaced Lebanese are currently arriving at a rate averaging 500 per day, primarily through al-Qaim border crossing with Syria, followed by the Baghdad and Najaf airports. This rate is lower than the average of 500 arrivals per day reported last week. The cities of Karbala and Najaf are hosting a majority of the Lebanese refugees, estimated by Iraqi authorities to be a combined 80% of the total, while the remainder are spread among several provinces, including Babylon, Basra, Diyala, Diwaniyah, and Ninewa. Previous UNHCR reports indicated that the majority of the Lebanese arrivals (62%) were women and children, and that many are being hosted in residential buildings designated by local authorities, while some are also reportedly staying with friends and family.
Sources cited in this section include: Iraq Observer, Shafaq, NINA, Rudaw, Baghdad Today, INA, al-Sumaria, CENTCOM, UNHCR.
ECONOMY: Iraq’s Grand Faw Port To Become Operational In 2026
On November 12, the director of Iraq’s General Company for Ports said the Iraqi government has selected 11 shipping companies to submit bids for the operation of the country’s under construction Grand Faw Port. The competitors include companies from China, France, Taiwan, India, the Philippines, and the UAE, and Iraq expects to make an award decision by January of next year, the Iraqi official added. Last week, Iraq announced that construction on the port’s five docks, managed by Daewoo Engineering & Construction, was complete, paving the way for the port to become operational in 2026.
On November 12, Iraqi President Abdul-Latif Rashid gave an address at COP29 in the Azerbaijani capital, Baku in which he highlighted the severe impact that climate change has on Iraq, particularly in vulnerable communities such as the March Arabs. Rashid called for creating a negotiating group involving oil and gas producers like Iraq and nations whose efforts to address climate change impact the oil-dependent economies of countries like Iraq. The Iraqi president also called for implementing plans that were agreed upon during COP28 to establish the Loss and Damages Fund.
On November 14, the governor of the Central Bank of Iraq (CBI), Ali al-Allaq, met in Istanbul with his Turkish counterpart, Fatih Karahan, to discuss launching new mechanisms for direct financial transactions between Iraq and Turkey, a statement by the CBI said. Allaq also met separately with the executives of Turkish banks operating in Iraq, and urged them to establish accounts for Iraqi banks in order to expand the financial channels available to support import and export operations between the two countries, the statement added.
On November 14, Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed al-Sudani convened a meeting of a high-level committee tasked with restructuring government institutions, a statement by Sudani’s office said. The prime minister gave instructions to seek the services of specialized international consultants to develop studies and design a standard structural framework for government ministries and state-owned enterprises.
Sources cited in this section include: Daily Sabah, Iraqi PM’s office, Shafaq, al-Sumaria, Iraqi president’s office.
Derived from firsthand accounts and Iraq-based Arabic and Kurdish news sources, the Iraq Security and Humanitarian Monitor is a free publication of the Enabling Peace in Iraq Center.