The Daily Digest
Two Iraqi security sources placed launchers used in the 11 September drone attack on Saudi Arabia’s East–West Pipeline at al-Tayeb in Maysan near the Iranian border; Riyadh attributed the strike to Iraqi factions, while Baghdad said it originated in Iraq. Security Media Cell chief Lt. Gen. Saad Maan described one platform inside Iraq but did not state that location. Three Iraqi faction commanders attributed the attack to a small network commanded by a senior IRGC officer, saying three major factions operating under the Islamic Resistance in Iraq name were not involved, while the Islamic Resistance had already denied responsibility. Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi again said Iraq would not be a launchpad for attacks on neighbouring states, and Parliament Speaker Haibat al-Halbousi said using Iraqi territory or airspace against Saudi Arabia or another neighbour contradicted Iraqi policy. Commercial traffic at Shalamcheh was scheduled to resume today after Baghdad temporarily closed three crossings with Iran following the attack. Separately, the Kurdistan Region Security Agency reported three impacts at Zrgoezela, one near Gurgachia and one between Darizayn and Mirasiy Khwaru, with no casualties; Unit 10,000 (KH — affiliated) said five missiles struck Iranian-opposition weapons depots and camps, a description the regional agency did not confirm, while press reports described residential camps and nearby fires. Kurdistan24, citing two Iraqi government sources, reported that Washington could suspend monthly dollar transfers unless armed factions disarmed by 30 September; the outlet obtained no U.S. document and Washington has made no public announcement.
The coalition mission is fixed to end on that date, while the reported financial warning remains unconfirmed and the weapons dialogue has no established 30 September cutoff.
An ammonia leak at the Southern Fertilizer Plant in Khor al-Zubair on Sunday evening killed two people and injured 114, the Health Ministry said. Emergency services sent more than 50 ambulances, and 21 people remained in hospital on Monday while most others were in stable condition. Of those still hospitalised, 12 were at al-Zubair Hospital, two at al-Sayyab Hospital and seven at al-Kuwaiti Hospital. Civil Defense teams evacuated the plant and rescued the workers who had remained trapped inside. Authorities have not determined the cause of the leak or said whether plant operations were suspended.
Kurdistan Region Prime Minister Masrour Barzani and U.S. Embassy Charge d’Affaires Steven Fagin condemned the attacks on the Region and agreed on the importance of increasing its oil production. They also called for stronger coordination between Erbil and Baghdad to improve the financial situation and increase Iraqi revenue. Iraq separately signed a technical consultancy agreement with Chevron to develop the West Qurna 2 field. The moves come after Iran’s closure of the Strait of Hormuz sharply reduced Iraq’s oil export capacity and pushed Baghdad to explore northern and western routes. On electricity, the Electricity Ministry said generation reached 24,700 megawatts this month, up from about 21,000 through the summer. Peak demand remains between 55,000 and 60,000 megawatts, meaning current output covers about 41% to 45% before network losses. A combined-cycle project at the Diwaniyah gas station is 48% complete and expected to add 264 megawatts in its first phase. Former ministry spokesperson Ahmed Mousa al-Abadi put transmission, distribution and billing losses at 55% to 59% of total generation, leaving the higher September output well below peak needs before much of it reaches customers.
More than 12 million students are to begin Iraq’s 2026–2027 academic year with school-building shortages still measured in the thousands. The Eco Iraq Observatory said the country has more than 40,000 schools but would need more than 10,000 new schools to eliminate overcrowded classrooms. It put the requirement for a single-shift system in which each school has its own building at roughly 8,000 additional schools. Salahuddin and Dhi Qar still have nearly 200 mud-brick schools and 800 schools operating from caravans. Federal estimates use different measures: an Education Ministry spokesperson put the shortage at about 7,000 schools in January, while the Iraq Fund for Development places the nationwide requirement at 8,578. The counts differ on the scale and definition of the need, but all place the building shortage in the thousands as the new school year begins.