Attachments
Key Takeaways:
- POLITICS: Washington And Baghdad Formally Announce Plan To End Coalition Presence In Iraq – On September 27, the U.S and Iraq confirmed that they have agreed on a plan (first reported On September 6) to end the mission of the Global Coalition to Defeat ISIS by the end of September 2025. In a joint statement, Washington and Baghdad said their focus will shift to bilateral security relations in a manner that supports Iraqi forces and maintains pressure on ISIS. The two sides also agreed that the Coalition’s military mission operating in Syria will continue from a “platform [base in Iraq] identified by the Higher Military Committee, until September 2026.” The Higher Military Committee has been tasked with preparing timelines and mechanisms for the plan’s implementation, and measures to ensure the security and protection of U.S. and other Coalition advisors present in Iraq during the transition period, the statement added. Iraqi and U.S. officials provided more details, telling reporters that U.S. military personnel will begin their withdrawal from Ain al-Asad airbase in Anbar and from Baghdad International Airport starting in November of this year and relocate to the Hareer base in Erbil, from which they will continue to support operations against ISIS in Syria through 2026. In other developments, on September 29, PM Mohammed al-Sudani decided to postpone an official visit to the United Kingdom that was scheduled for October 1 due to recent escalation in the region. On October 2, Iraq’s parliament postponed a session during which it was scheduled to vote on controversial amendments to the country’s Personal Status Law no. 188 of 1959 due to lack of quorum. more…
- SECURITY: Militias Launch Fresh Attacks On Israel, Fire Rockets At Baghdad Airport – Between September 28 – October 2, the “Islamic Resistance in Iraq,” a front group for Iran-backed Iraqi militias, claimed that it conducted at least 12 new attacks against targets in various parts of Israel using explosive drones and cruise missiles. This is the same number of attacks reported during the previous week. It is unclear whether the drones and missiles hit their targets or caused casualties or damage. Meanwhile, on October 1, three 107mm rockets fired from al-Amiriyah in west Baghdad struck inside Baghdad’s International Airport. Two of the rockets hit a base for Iraqi counter-terrorism troops, while the third rocket landed in an empty space. No casualties were reported as a result of the attack, which U.S. embassy officials said was targeting the embassy’s diplomatic support facility. On the same day, the so-called “Iraqi Resistance Coordination Committee” issued a statement threatening to strike U.S. interests in Iraq if Israel were to use Iraqi airspace in attacks on Iran. In other developments, on September 30, several civilians were injured after fighting erupted between the Turkish military and members of the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) in the Batifa district. Three villages were reportedly evacuated as a result of the fighting. On October 2, four Iraqi soldiers were killed and three were wounded after their unit was ambushed by ISIS militants in the Wadi Zghaytoun region of Kirkuk province. more…
- HUMANITARIAN & HUMAN RIGHTS: Thousands Of Lebanese Refugees Arrive In Iraq – On October 2, Iraqi security officials said that nearly 5,000 displaced Lebanese nationals have arrived in Iraq over the last ten days amid a serious escalation in violence between Israel and Hezbollah and an Israeli military incursion into southern Lebanon. The Lebanese refugees have been arriving by land through the al-Qaim border crossing, as well as on flights to the Baghdad and Najaf airports. The arrivals include people who were injured during intense Israeli airstrikes on Beirut and southern Lebanon and are being treated in Iraqi hospitals. The shrine authorities in the holy cities of Najaf and Karbala have been making arrangements to host many of the displaced Lebanese families in hotels, while others are staying with friends and relatives. In other developments, on September 27, the EU urged Iraqi authorities to “introduce a moratorium” on the use of the death penalty after reports last week that Iraq executed 21 prisoners in one day. On September 30, Iraq’s National Security Service said it arrested 54 individuals suspected of being members of extreme religious groups in September. The arrests come a week after the Supreme Judicial Council instructed Iraqi courts to take “aggravated legal measures” against members of religious groups that deviate from orthodoxy. On October 3, Iraq’s National Intelligence Service said that it freed a young Iraqi Yazidi woman who was kidnapped ten years ago and was held captive in a neighboring country. According to Reuters, the Yazidi woman was found in Gaza and was freed in a complex operation that took months of effort with the help of the U.S, Jordan, and Israel. more…
- ECONOMY & CLIMATE: Power Grid Loses 7,000 Megawatts As Iran Cuts Gas And Electricity Supplies – On October 2, Iraq’s Ministry of Electricity said the power grid lost nearly 7,100 megawatts due to disruptions to electricity imports from Iran, a drop in natural gas supplies from Iran and domestic fields, and maintenance works on several power plants. The situation has caused widespread outages and forced the ministry to reduce the number of hours during which electricity is supplied to customers. The ministry explained that Iranian gas imports dropped by 7 million cubic meters/day, resulting in the loss of 1,500 megawatts. Meanwhile, the loss of 450 million cubic feet/day of gas from Iraq’s own southern fields resulted in the loss of another 1,500 megawatts. Additionally, Iran cut direct electricity exports to Diyala and Basra, denying the grid of another 1,100 megawatts. Scheduled maintenance works on several power plants accounted for the loss of the other 3,000 megawatts. In other developments, on October 1, Iraqi authorities closed the country’s airspace to civilian air traffic as Iran launched ballistic missiles over Iraq that were aimed at Israel. The airspace was reopened late Tuesday night local time but the brief airspace closure resulted in a “large number” of flight cancellations. On October 3, the head of Iraq’s Customs Commission said that customs revenue was expected to reach IQD 2 trillion by the end of the year, potentially surpassing last year’s revenue by 50%. 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: Washington And Baghdad Formally Announce Plan To End Coalition Presence In Iraq
On September 27, the U.S and Iraq confirmed that they have agreed on a plan (first reported On September 6) to end the mission of the Global Coalition to Defeat ISIS by the end of September 2025. In a joint statement, Washington and Baghdad said their focus will shift to bilateral security relations in a manner that supports Iraqi forces and maintains pressure on ISIS. The two sides also agreed that the Coalition’s military mission operating in Syria will continue from a “platform identified by the Higher Military Committee, until September 2026.” The Higher Military Committee has been tasked with preparing timelines and mechanisms for the plan’s implementation, and measures to ensure the security and protection of U.S. and other Coalition advisors present in Iraq during the transition period, the statement added. Iraqi and U.S. officials provided more details, telling reporters that U.S. military personnel will begin their withdrawal from Ain al-Asad airbase in Anbar and from Baghdad International Airport starting in November of this year and relocate to the Hareer base in Erbil. In the following phase, the U.S. will continue to support operations against ISIS in Syria from Iraq (ostensibly from Hareer) through 2026.
On September 29, Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed al-Sudani decided to postpone an official visit to the United Kingdom that was scheduled for October 1, according to a statement by his office. The decision to postpone the trip was in response to “recent developments on the regional and international stage,” the statement added, in an apparent reference to the killing of Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah.
On October 2, Iraq’s parliament postponed a session during which it was scheduled to vote on controversial amendments to the country’s Personal Status Law no. 188 of 1959 due to lack of quorum. Last month, parliament concluded its discussions of the amendments despite strong opposition from female lawmakers and moderate and secular parties, who mustered 110 signatures in support of a motion to take the amendments off the agenda. The amendments would allow Iraqis to seek guidance from clerics of their respective sects in matters of marriage, divorce, and inheritance. Opponents fear they could revive sectarian divisions and undermine women and children rights.
Sources cited in this section include: INA, ISHM archive, AP, Rudaw.
SECURITY: Militias Launch Fresh Attacks On Israel, Fire Rockets At Baghdad Airport
On September 28, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reported that unidentified aircraft struck multiple targets belonging to Iran-backed militias in the eastern suburbs of Deir ez-Zur in eastern Syria. The airstrikes killed at least 15 people and wounded another 20, according to the report, which added that nearly half of those killed or wounded were Iraqi nationals.
On September 28, security sources told Shafaq that an explosive drone launched from Iraq targeted a base used by U.S. military forces in the eastern parts of Syria’s Deir ez-Zur province. The drone was intercepted and shot down by the base’s defense systems before it could reach its target.
On September 28, the “Islamic Resistance in Iraq,” a front group for Iran-backed Iraqi militias, claimed that it conducted two new attacks against unspecified Israeli targets in Tel-Aviv and Eilat using explosive drones. Two days later, on September 30, the group said it launched explosive drones against three Israeli targets in Haifa and central Israel, while attacking a fourth unspecified target with al-Arqab-type cruise missiles. On the following day, the militia group claimed that it also attacked three additional targets inside Israel using more al-Arqab missiles. The attacks continued on October 2, when the militias launched another wave of explosive drones against three unspecified targets in northern Israel. It is unclear whether the drones and missiles hit their targets or caused casualties or damage.
On September 29, security sources in Dhi-Qar province said that an unexploded remnant of war detonated in al-Shakhara region of al-Batha district, southwest of Nasiriyah. The explosion injured a 14 year old boy who was herding sheep in the area when the explosion happened.
On September 30, security sources in Duhok province said that several civilians were injured after fighting erupted between the Turkish military and militants of the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) in the Batifa district. The residents of three villages left the area heading towards the nearby town of Amadiyah seeking safety from the fighting, the sources added.
On October 1, Iraqi security officials said that three Katyusha-type rockets struck inside Baghdad’s International Airport. Two of the rockets made impact inside the parking lot of a base housing Iraqi counter-terrorism unit troops, while the third rocket landed in an empty space within the airport’s perimeter. No casualties were reported as a result of the attack, which U.S. embassy officials said was targeting the embassy’s diplomatic support facility. Iraqi security forces later recovered the truck-mounted launcher that was used in the attack, and disarmed three unfired rockets that were still onboard. Footage of the captured launcher, which was found in the al-Amiriyah district of west Baghdad, suggests the rockets used in the attack were 107mm projectiles. Iraq’s Interior Ministry said it opened an investigation into the incident and has suspended the commander in charge of the area. Meanwhile, the so-called “Iraqi Resistance Coordination Committee” issued a statement on the same day threatening to strike U.S. interests in Iraq if Israel were to use Iraqi airspace in attacks on Iran.
On October 2, the Security Media Cell reported that four Iraqi soldiers were killed and three were wounded after their unit was ambushed by ISIS militants in the Wadi Zghaytoun region of Kirkuk province. The militants opened fire on the Iraqi soldiers, all from the 42 brigade, 11th division, as the latter approached the area to arrest a suspected militant, Iraqi officials said.
On October 2, security sources in Dhi-Qar province said that an improvised explosive device (IED) detonated against a vehicle belonging to Nagham al-Ibrahimi, a member of the Dhi-Qar provincial council. The explosion, which occurred on Albu Fayyadh street in central Nasiriyah, seriously injured al-Ibrahimi’s husband, the sources added. The council member herself was not seriously hurt in the attack.
Sources cited in this section include: al-Sumaria, Shafaq, Iraq Observer, Baghdad Today, INA, Ultra Iraq, Reuters.
HUMANITARIAN & HUMAN RIGHTS: Thousands Of Lebanese Refugees Arrive In Iraq
On September 27, the European Union (EU) urged Iraqi authorities to “introduce a moratorium” on the use of the death penalty after reports last week that Iraq executed 21 prisoners at the Nasiriyah Central Prison in Dhi-Qar province. In its statement, the EU expressed “deep concern over the recent increased application of capital punishment sentences in Iraq,” including incidents in which dozens of prisoners were executed in a single day. The EU said its call for a moratorium was a step towards the “eventual abolishment” of the death penalty, which it denounced as a “cruel and inhumane ultimate punishment” that is “incompatible with the inalienable right to life, fails to act as a deterrent to crime, and represents an unacceptable denial of human dignity and integrity. It also makes miscarriages of justice irreversible.”
On September 30, Iraq’s National Security Service said it arrested 229 people on charges of terrorism, electronic extortion, illicit drug trade, and religious extremism during the month of September. The total includes 42 arrested on terrorism charges, 63 on drug charges, 70 on extortion charges, and 54 individuals who were arrested on charges of membership of extreme religious groups, the security agency added, without providing more details. The announcement of the arrests comes a week after the Supreme Judicial Council issued instructions to Iraqi courts to take “aggravated legal measures” against members of religious groups that deviate from orthodoxy. In a document circulated by news sites, the Supreme Judicial Council said that several groups and movements have emerged recently that use religions or sects as “cover for their deviant practices that do not conform with the principles, values, or ideas of those religions.” The letter, signed by the head of the Supreme Judicial Council Judge Faeq Zaidan, argues that some of these groups have become a danger to the lives of certain religions or sects, requiring the courts to employ stricter penalties. Zaidan did not mention any specific groups or religions by name.
On October 2, Iraqi security officials said that nearly 5,000 displaced Lebanese nationals have arrived in Iraq over the last ten days amid a serious escalation in violence between Israel and Hezbollah and an Israeli military incursion into southern Lebanon. The Lebanese refugees have been arriving through the al-Qaim border crossing on the Iraq-Syria border, as well as on flights to the Baghdad and Najaf airports, a spokesman for Iraq’s Migration Ministry said. Among the arrivals are people who were injured during intense Israeli airstrikes on Beirut and southern Lebanon. The shrine authorities in Najaf and Karbala have been making arrangements to host many of the displaced Lebanese families in hotels in the two holy cities, while others are staying with friends and relatives. At al-Qaim, only government authorities and the Iraqi Red Crescent Society are allowed direct access to the border entry area and reception center, according to an update from UNHCR. The Iraqi Education Ministry instructed schools to admit children coming from Lebanon to avoid having them miss the school year.
On October 3, Iraq’s National Intelligence Service said that it freed a young Iraqi Yazidi woman who was kidnapped ten years ago and was held captive in a neighboring country. According to a report by Reuters, the Yazidi woman was found in Gaza and was freed in a complex operation with the help of the U.S, Jordan, and Israel. A senior Iraqi Foreign Ministry official said the process took more than four months of effort because of the challenging security situation in Gaza. The woman, identified as Fawzia Sido, has been reunited with her family, the Iraqi official said.
Sources cited in this section include: EU, ISHM archive, Mawazin, Rudaw, al-Hurra, UNHCR, Shafaq, Reuters.
ECONOMY & CLIMATE: Power Grid Loses 7,000 Megawatts As Iran Cuts Gas And Electricity Supplies
On September 27, the U.S. Transportation Department said it fined Air Canada $250,000 over flights in 2022-2023 that crossed prohibited Iraq’s airspace on their path between the UAE and Canada at a lower altitude than permitted by the U.S. The Federal Aviation Authority prohibits U.S. carriers from flying over Iraq at altitudes below 32,000 feet for safety reasons.
On October 1, Iraqi authorities closed the country’s airspace to civilian air traffic as Iran commenced launching waves of ballistic missiles over Iraq that were aimed at Israel, Iraq’s Transportation Minister said. The airspace was reopened late Tuesday night local time and all of Iraq’s air ports resumed normal operations after the security warning ended, the Transportation Minister said in a subsequent statement. The brief airspace closure resulted in a “large number” of flight cancellations, which airports were working to reschedule, according to officials at Erbil Airport.
On October 2, Iraq’s Ministry of Electricity said that the power grid lost nearly 7,100 megawatts due to disruptions to electricity imports from Iran, a drop in natural gas supplies from Iran and domestic fields, and maintenance works on several power plants. The situation has caused outages and forced the ministry to reduce the number of hours during which electricity is supplied to customers across the country. In a statement, the ministry explained that Iranian gas imports dropped by 7 million cubic meters/day, resulting in the loss of 1,500 megawatts. Meanwhile, the loss of 450 million cubic feet/day of gas from Iraq’s own southern fields resulted in the loss of another 1,500 megawatts. Additionally, Iran cut direct electricity exports to Diyala and Basra, denying the grid of another 1,100 megawatts. Scheduled maintenance works on several power plants accounted for the loss of the other 3,000 megawatts, the ministry added, calling on the population to reduce their usage.
On October 3, the head of Iraq’s Customs Commission said that customs revenue was showing steady growth with total revenue for 2024 expected to reach IQD 2 trillion by the end of the year. According to the official, Hussein al-Ugaili, customs revenue has increased from IQD 807 billion in 2022 to IQD 1.33 trillion in 2023, noting that revenue during the first seven months of 2024 stood at IQD 1.145 trillion. The official acknowledged that these figures “do not meet expectations,” stressing that ongoing reforms will be reflected in further increase in revenue. Reports suggest that the majority of Iraq’s potential customs and tax revenues are not realized due to many problems including poor enforcement, smuggling, and corruption.
Sources cited in this section include: Reuters, Mawazin, INA, Kurdistan24, Ultra Iraq, Rawabet Center.