WIRE
964 MEDIAZaidi says no weapons or forces will remain outside Iraqi state authority31MTHE NEW REGIONIran-aligned Iraqi factions say ‘not bound’ by any timetable to disarm1HAL JAZEERAHow does Iraq’s security change after US forces withdraw?3HAL JAZEERAIraq celebrates National Sovereignty Day as US troops withdraw4H964 MEDIAUS completes Iraq withdrawal and moves anti-ISIS task force to Jordan, says CENTCOM4H964 MEDIAIraq’s speaker of parliament calls for ‘no weapons outside the law’4HKURDISTAN24UK: Coalition Mission in Iraq Concludes After Peshmerga, Iraqi Forces Defeat Daesh4HAL-MONITORJoy mixed with fear as US forces quit Iraq leaving potential security vacuum4HBBCLast UK and US troops leave Iraq as anti-Islamic State mission ends4HBBCDrawing of lots sends Oman through to Gulf Cup semi-finals at expense of Iraq5HFRANCE 24Mixed reactions in Iraq on final day of US-led coalition withdrawal5HFRANCE 24Why is the US withdrawing its troops from Iraq?5HBLOOMBERGIraq Deepens October Crude Price Discounts to as Much as $375HAPHeightened security in capital amid US departure from Iraq5H964 MEDIASadr dissolves the Promised Day Brigade and tells Iraq’s political leaders to step aside5HTHE NEW REGION‘A new phase has begun’: Iraqi PM Zaidi celebrates anti-ISIS coalition’s withdrawal5H
Iraq Monitorعين على العراقPrimary-source intelligence
THE BRIEFING · A PERMANENT EDITION

Sunday, 16 August 2026

MORNING EDITION

The Daily Digest

Iraqi authorities seized about $20 million and 60 kilograms of gold in a case tied to a deputy oil minister, with another account putting the cash at $20.3 million. A separate raid took nearly $7 million from the home of an electricity ministry undersecretary; one report put that haul at $6.7 million. Iraqi News said the electricity case ran to millions.

The Baghdad parallel rate stood at 153,850 IQD per 100 USD, up 0.5 percent, and Erbil at 153,750; press reports said dollar rates climbed in both cities. The telecom minister said dinar redenomination had been finalized, drawing criticism, as coverage asked whether Iraq would drop zeros from the currency.

Iraq ordered faster delivery of advanced air-defense systems as it sped up modernization. Baghdad reshuffled senior Federal Police command posts, and the security reshuffle reached Green Zone command. Graduates clashed with security forces outside the Baghdad Health Ministry.

Kirkuk farmers said Topzawa lands face confiscation. Separately, Masoud Barzani was reported to have brokered a secret US–IRGC diplomatic channel.

Iraqi trucks completed a first international overland run to Turkmenistan. Oil Minister Hayan Abdul Ghani al-Zaidi urged Italian firms to invest in energy and industry, and the national security adviser made a similar pitch to Japanese firms. A Shafaq scoop said Iraq was in talks with Washington and Tehran over Hormuz oil shipments.

Muhammad al-Baldawi (AAH — Sadiqoun bloc) on Al-Ahad TV (AAH — official) pressed the Foreign Ministry over the Luqman al-Faily reappointment and an adviser’s pay, as set out in today’s militia digest; the ministry has not replied.

THINGS TO WATCH
Cabinet or CBI posts a redenomination decree or timetablemedium likelihoodhigh impactThe telecom minister said redenomination was finalized and drew criticism, so a named state instrument would settle whether the claim stands.
Named US or Iranian official confirms Hormuz oil-shipment talkslow likelihoodhigh impactA single Shafaq scoop asserted Iraq was in talks with both capitals; an on-record confirmation would lock the story.
Kirkuk authority issues a written order on Topzawa landmedium likelihoodmedium impactFarmers said the lands face confiscation; a posted decree or court filing would show whether the threat is administrative.
Defense ministry names an air-defense system and delivery datemedium likelihoodmedium impactKurdistan24 reported orders to speed advanced systems; a contract or arrival notice would turn the claim into a schedule.

The Militia Digest

Muhammad al-Baldawi (AAH — Sadiqoun bloc) on Al-Ahad TV (AAH — official) demanded the legal basis and documents for reappointing Luqman al-Faily as ambassador after a 2016 resignation, and questioned a presidential decree issued without parliamentary consent. He also asked the Foreign Ministry to justify continuing adviser Wael Ghassan Hamza’s Iraqi salary on secondment and to check a dual-salary suspicion involving Britain. The same channel later aired him saying the bloc held documents of ministry violations, had written the authorities to recover wasted funds, and would raise further files. The demands were put as questions conditional on proof; no other faction channel took the file up, and the ministry has not replied.

Sara al-Mahmoodawi (Sadiqoun bloc) on Al-Ahad TV (AAH — official) called on the government to send the two PMF laws to the Council of Representatives rather than leave them hostage to delay. She asked that they be adopted and voted so as to secure legal rights for PMF personnel. No other actor repeated the demand.

On the security file, Firas al-Yaser, a Nujaba political-council member, on Al-Nujaba TV (Nujaba — official) said an official channel claiming independence had distorted the image of the fighters and marketed misleading meanings. He said that channel’s policies should be reconsidered because it represented only its officials. The post was tagged to NTV Iraq; the channel is not named in the text, and no reply is on record.

Saud al-Saadi (Hoquq — KH) directed a parliamentary question to the prime minister on removing zeros from the dinar. Al-Kornet al-Kata'ibi (KSS — affiliated) framed it as concerning government remarks, asking for the legal basis, economic usefulness and effects on confidence. Al-Ittijah TV (KH — official) later called it a question on the decision itself and posted a parliamentary letter; the two letter images show different visible dates.

In the militia space, Shabab al-Islam (Ashab al-Kahf — owned/non-official) posted a dramatized clip whose caption tells addressees not to surrender and states that, for followers of Hussein who attend mourning assemblies, surrendering weapons is cutting off all of their heads. The clip shows staged outdoor scenes and overlaid wording that includes American aircraft. No other channel carried that wording, and no attack claim of an associated incident is on record.

Al-Ittijah TV (KH — official) relayed a Diwaniyah tribal statement rejecting any turn of Jurf al-Nasr into a space for political bargaining and U.S. pressure; Sabereen News (KH — affiliated) carried the sheikhs on political deals and martyrs’ blood without naming Washington. The same official channel aired al-Sarraj saying the angry movement against return calls was the families of areas that had bled there. Al-Ahad TV (AAH — official) aired Ali al-Sahib calling for an immediate investigation of Adnan al-Janabi over Jurf remarks, while Al-Ittijah reported Karbala tribes condemning returns without naming him.

THINGS TO WATCH
Foreign Ministry reply or documents on the Faily reappointment and Hamza paymedium likelihoodmedium impactBaldawi put the demands as questions and as conditional on proof, and no ministry reply is on record.
Government sends the two PMF laws to the Council of Representativesmedium likelihoodhigh impactMahmoodawi called on the government to send the two laws rather than leave them hostage to delay.
Named official channel replies to Yaser or a regulator actslow likelihoodlow impactYaser said an official channel’s policies should be reconsidered; the channel is unnamed in the text and no reply is on record.
Prime minister’s office answers Saadi’s zeros question in writingmedium likelihoodmedium impactTwo KH-aligned channels carried a parliamentary question on the same policy with letter images dated differently.
A named faction brand claims an attack matching the Shabab al-Islam captionlow likelihoodmedium impactThe clip’s wording appeared on no other channel and no associated incident is on record.
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