Thursday, 10 September 2026

A fuel-oil storage tanker chartered by the Iraqi Oil Tankers Company was struck in Iraqi territorial waters at 5:30 a.m. Wednesday, causing minor hull damage.Reuters reported that the vessel had a hole in its hull after a drone strike. The Oil Ministry said no crew members were injured, no cargo leaked and an investigation was underway. Iraq is meanwhile tendering for two oil supertankers to pass through Hormuz. Mansour al-Baiji (Reconstruction and Development — deputy bloc head) withdrew his claim that Iran charged Iraq $20 for each barrel exported through the strait, saying a day later that Iraq paid no fees to Iran or anyone else; he did not explain the change. Daily transit calls through the Strait of Hormuz rose to six vessels from two.

Ali al-Asadi (Nujaba — political council head) said Nujaba had agreed with Coordination Framework leaders to regulate weapons rather than surrender them, and that the Framework had moved away from restricting weapons to the state. Maj. Gen. Sabah al-Numan, spokesman for the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces, said weapons would not be permitted outside state control. He set no deadline for the faction talks but said they would accelerate after the coalition mission ends. Reuters reported that Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi had pledged to disarm factions by September 30. Security adviser Qasim al-Araji instead said that date applied only to the coalition withdrawal. September 30 is fixed for the coalition mission, not for the weapons dialogue. In parallel, Qaisar al-Jourani (AAH — Sadiqoun MP) said the Framework had agreed on four deputy-prime-minister posts and that Sadiqoun wanted the Interior Ministry. Muhammad al-Baldawi (AAH — Sadiqoun spokesman and MP) said the points system entitled Sadiqoun to two ministries, leaving its allocation unresolved while the four posts remain under discussion.

A Kurdistan Regional Government delegation held Baghdad talks over the Region’s rights in the 2027 federal budget. Kurdistan Region Interior Minister Rebar Ahmed demanded a 14.1 percent share. Ahmed also called for swift implementation of the Sinjar Agreement. He said its provisions required armed forces to leave the city, security to pass to local police, a new district administrator to be appointed and services to be restored. Ahmed rejected a military administrator for Sinjar and called instead for a political and administrative agreement involving Nineveh authorities and political parties. Baghdad and Erbil separately sought continued coordination over oil.

Dozens of truck drivers protesting fuel shortages blocked a major road near the al-Shamsiyat checkpoint southeast of Mosul. A security source said police intervened and cleared the route. In Diyala, depleted generator stocks and insufficient funding left government offices dependent on electricity supplied for about one hour followed by two hours of outages. Employees in some departments pooled money to buy generator fuel, but rising prices and limited availability made that harder. The Oil Ministry attributed the shortages to delayed gasoline shipments and put normal demand at 33 million liters a day, rising to 38 million during peak periods. After long queues formed at Baghdad stations on Saturday, the disruption has now produced a road blockade in Mosul and slowed public offices in Diyala.

First Deputy Parliament Speaker Adnan Faihan said parliament fully supported the anti-corruption campaign and that no accused person should be shielded from the law. Meeting Federal Integrity Commission chief Mohammed Ali al-Lami, Faihan urged anti-corruption bodies to continue investigations and pursue suspects through legal and constitutional procedures. Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi launched the Dawn Crackdown on June 28, and at least 210 officials, lawmakers, public employees and business figures had been detained by August 9. Government spokesman Haidar al-Aboudi subsequently said Iraqis had filed more than 26,000 corruption reports and that recovered money, assets and property exceeded 1.359 trillion dinars. Faihan’s statement adds parliamentary backing to an existing campaign that has already moved from arrests into wider investigations of state institutions.

Ali al-Asadi (Nujaba — political council head) told Al-Nujaba TV (Nujaba — official) that Nujaba had agreed with Coordination Framework leaders to organize weapons rather than surrender them. He said the Framework had shifted from restricting weapons to regulating them. Maj. Gen. Sabah al-Numan, spokesman for the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces, said weapons would not be permitted outside state control. He set no deadline for talks with factions but said they would accelerate after the coalition mission ends. Al-Ghadeer TV (Badr Organization — official), iNEWS (KSS — affiliated) and Watan TV (Badr Organization — affiliated) carried September 30 as the final coalition deadline, with Watan calling the withdrawal an expression of government will and sovereignty. Reuters reported that Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi had pledged to disarm factions by that date, while security adviser Qasim al-Araji said it applied only to the coalition. A Middle East Council on Global Affairs analysis placed AAH on the willing side and Kataib Hezbollah on the refusing side, but neither faction stated that position itself. September 30 is fixed for the coalition mission, not for the weapons dialogue.

Qaisar al-Jourani (AAH — Sadiqoun MP) said the Framework had agreed to four deputy prime ministers and that Sadiqoun wanted the Interior Ministry. He said the cabinet map would be reconsidered if al-Zaidi’s proposed deputies were not approved. Muhammad al-Baldawi (AAH — Sadiqoun spokesman and MP) said the points system entitled Sadiqoun to two ministries. Political analyst Muhammad al-Fandi named Interior and Labour as the alternative allocation if the deputy-premier plan failed. State of Law Coalition leader Bilal al-Nasiri said his coalition would not lead opposition to the posts, while Reconstruction and Development Coalition leader Mashriq al-Furaiji backed giving Interior to Sadiqoun. All treated four deputy-prime-minister posts as still under Framework discussion, but differed over what Sadiqoun would receive if the posts failed.

Oil Ministry spokesman Salim al-Rikabi denied that Iran had imposed fees on Iraqi oil exports or tankers passing through Hormuz. Al-Ittijah TV (KH — official) carried the denial as given directly to it, while Sabereen News (KH — affiliated), Unit 10,000 (KH — affiliated) and iNEWS carried the same wording. Al-Ahad had already carried the ministry’s denial that Iraq pays $20 per barrel to transit Hormuz; SOMO director Ali Nizar said buyers take responsibility after oil is sold at ports. MP Mansour al-Baiji also said Iraq sells oil for $65 per barrel and Tehran takes no fees. Bloomberg reported that Iraq was tendering for two oil supertankers to pass through Hormuz. Reuters separately reported that a tanker in Iraqi waters had a hole in its hull after a drone strike.

Al-Ghadeer carried a Council of Representatives letter requesting funding for dismissed PMF personnel in the 2027 budget. The signed and sealed document said the funding would allow them to return to their former jobs. The allocation has not been enacted. A KRG delegation meanwhile met the federal finance, planning and oil ministries over its entitlements in the draft budget. Hamid al-Musawi (Badr — parliamentary bloc spokesman) said his bloc supported the government and sought to pass the PMF law. Separately, Al-Ahad said a committee chaired by First Deputy Parliament Speaker Adnan Faihan was advancing 11 draft laws and called the program a record achievement.

Iraqi militia channels relayed claims that Yemeni forces had entered or taken al-Mukha and al-Khawkhah. Al-Nujaba TV described complete control of al-Mukha, while iNEWS reported columns entering after its liberation and other posts described continuing fighting. The same relay included claims of entry into al-Mukha’s port and control of Zuqar Island, while Badr media reported a missile attack against Saudi-aligned forces. Five channels also relayed the Yemeni Armed Forces’ claim that it downed a Saudi Karyal armed reconnaissance aircraft over Hajjah. Across both relays, the channels attributed the action to Yemeni forces or Ansar Allah.