Saturday, 5 September 2026

Drivers formed long queues at Baghdad fuel stations on Saturday as gasoline supplies fell after import disruptions caused by the regional conflict. The Oil Ministry said tanker traffic faced logistical problems and delayed arrivals at Iraqi ports, while a gap between domestic production and consumption had reduced station supply. Ministry spokesperson Salim al-Rikabi said Iraq had contracted one tanker and planned to use additional vessels to meet daily demand and reinforce reserves. Oil Minister Bassem Mohammed al-Abadi said more gasoline shipments would arrive soon and put normal consumption at 33 million liters per day, rising to around 38 million liters when public concern increases demand. The ministry said refineries were operating at full capacity and urged motorists to avoid buying more fuel than they needed. Separately, the Transport and Environment ministries are developing charging arrangements for a proposed Baghdad electric-taxi project, although its feasibility study is still being prepared. The electric-taxi project remains under study.

Security Media Cell head Lt. Gen. Saad Maan said the government had moved from whether factions could be disarmed to how, with all options available. Press reports meanwhile attributed to Nujaba continued protection of “resistance weapons” and nonparticipation in formal politics. Both repeated the position Ali al-Asadi (Nujaba — political council head) set out Friday. On September 4, Sabereen News (KH — affiliated) called on its audience to storm Baghdad’s Rashid Hotel after alleging that management had refused to surrender Yazid al-Hassoun, whom it described as wanted by the judiciary, to Iraqi security forces. Al-Ahad TV (AAH — official) carried Hassan Sami’s father demanding accountability and Raad Dhanoun’s brother alleging that PMF chairman Faleh al-Fayyad knew in advance of danger but failed to order an evacuation. Sunna Party political-office head Abd al-Ghani al-Ghazban demanded an inquiry into Fayyad’s failure to appear before parliament and restructuring beginning with senior leadership, and Fayyad has not answered.

The Iraqi National Intelligence Service said it arrested a 10-member network of foreign nationals who were in Baghdad illegally, working with the Interior Ministry’s Anti-Human Trafficking Directorate. INIS accused the suspects of luring foreign nationals with promises of work, holding and torturing them, filming the abuse and demanding ransoms from their families. Separately, the Interior Ministry said it dismantled an international drug-trafficking network in Sulaimani, seized 260 kilograms of Captagon and arrested two suspects, including one foreign national. The ministry said the pursuit began in a neighboring country and ended in Sulaimani, with the Rusafa and Sulaimani narcotics directorates working together. It said the operation took place four months ago but was not announced earlier for intelligence and investigative reasons.

Sabereen News (KH — affiliated) called on its audience on September 4 to storm Baghdad’s Rashid Hotel after alleging that management refused to surrender Yazid al-Hassoun, whom it described as wanted by the judiciary, to Iraqi security forces. Earlier, it had called al-Hassoun a terrorist, placed him at the hotel and challenged the security forces to act. The call to storm the hotel followed the refusal allegation by one minute. The posts cited no judicial document, alleged offence or participating force. The call was Sabereen’s, not an official Kataib Hezbollah statement, and no militia has claimed that a raid took place.

Later press reports attributed to Nujaba a rejection of disarmament and continued withdrawal from formal politics. One stressed support for the PMF and resistance weapons after Coordination Framework meetings, while another stressed the political boycott. Neither report named the speaker or reproduced the underlying statement. The reports repeated the position already set out by Ali al-Asadi (Nujaba — political council head). Security Media Cell head Lt. Gen. Saad Maan meanwhile said the government had moved from whether factions could be disarmed to how, with “all options” available.

Al-Ahad TV (AAH — official) carried two relatives accusing PMF chairman Faleh al-Fayyad of failing to warn units. Hassan Sami’s father demanded accountability, while Raad Dhanoun’s brother alleged that Fayyad knew in advance but did not order an evacuation. Neither caption identified the incident that caused the deaths. Sunna Party political-office head Abd al-Ghani al-Ghazban called for an inquiry into Fayyad’s failure to appear before parliament, weapons handed to the state to go to the PMF, and restructuring to begin with senior leadership. These were the speakers’ demands, not an AAH endorsement. The broadcasts followed yesterday’s warning by Salem al-Absawi (Sadiqoun MP) that parliament could ultimately remove Fayyad, and Fayyad has not answered the accusations.

Sabereen News and Unit 10,000 (KH — affiliated) reported that PMF forces detected and confronted ISIS elements near Bir Sabani village in Altun Kupri on September 4. Al-Ahad instead carried an agency-tagged account saying the PMF had repelled an attack at the same location. Al-Ghadeer TV (Badr Organization — official) and Watan TV (Badr Organization — affiliated) later used identical detection-and-confrontation wording. The reports named no PMF formation and gave no casualties or equipment losses. They came after the PMF said gunmen attacked a Brigade 16 checkpoint around 02:00 on September 3, killing Ali Bahjat Hamid and wounding Junaid Ismat Bahjat. An Iraqi security authority has not confirmed the latest engagement.

Sabereen and Al-Ghadeer carried a Khatam al-Anbiya Headquarters statement claiming pre-emptive strikes on a U.S. base in Jordan on September 4. Khatam said the base had been preparing attacks on what it called “the country”; the channels did not explain the headquarters’ institutional status. Earlier, Al-Ghadeer described reports of rockets launched toward the Strait of Hormuz, while Sabereen presented rocket strikes directly. Sabereen then reported cruise-missile launches toward Hormuz and said ships violating the Republic’s instructions would be disciplined, before separately reporting five missiles launched from Sirik. In Iraq, the Oil Ministry said regional conflict had delayed tanker arrivals at Iraqi ports, and drivers formed long queues at Baghdad fuel stations.

Elsewhere in the south, Sabereen, Al-Ghadeer, Al-Nujaba TV (Nujaba — official), Al-Kornet al-Kata'ibi (KSS — affiliated) and iNEWS (KSS — affiliated) carried protests by government contract workers. Sabereen described demonstrations in Maysan and several other provinces demanding permanent employment. The other channels focused on Maysan workers seeking permanent appointments through the 2027 budget. Footage showed demonstrators, Iraqi flags and employment-related banners, but neither channel said its faction organised the protest.