Sunday, 4 October 2026

The Iraqi Oil Tankers Company said it had transported two million barrels of Iraqi crude past the Strait of Hormuz aboard a chartered supertanker on Saturday. It was the state company’s first independent crude transportation beyond the strait in decades. Director General Ali Qais said the operation followed the prime minister’s directives and was supervised by the oil minister. The Oil Ministry is also seeking funding to buy tankers for the state fleet. In Ankara, Oil Minister Bassem al-Abadi said Iraq and Turkey had advanced a draft agreement governing exports through Ceyhan and discussed increasing export capacity. They formed joint technical committees for oilfield investment and oil infrastructure. Separately, Iraq and six other OPEC+ members decided in principle on Sunday to keep production targets unchanged.

The Finance Ministry reported a 26.32 trillion Iraqi dinar deficit for the seven months to the end of July. Revenues of approximately 39.09 trillion Iraqi dinars were offset by expenditure of approximately 65.42 trillion. Oil exports generated over 30.35 trillion Iraqi dinars, accounting for about 78 percent of state resources. Non-oil revenues amounted to 8.74 trillion Iraqi dinars, about 22 percent of total income. On Saturday, the ministry launched its first electronic tax accounting system for large taxpayers. It allows remote filing and payment, electronic document storage, and review of declarations by audit and compliance teams. The ministry plans to extend the system to other taxpayer categories in later phases.

Two Kurdistan Regional Government delegations are in Baghdad for talks on the 2027 federal budget and to hand over September’s civil-service salary list, a source from Erbil’s finance ministry said. The source said the budget delegation would press for the Region’s share “in line with agreements”. The talks follow the KRG’s demand that its 14.14 percent population share determine its federal allocation. The federal budget is scheduled to reach parliament on 10 October.

Separately, Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi ordered an investigation on Sunday into the trampling of a US flag during a PMF parade in Baghdad on Thursday, held to celebrate the US-led coalition mission’s end on 30 September. His spokesman Sabah al-Numan said al-Zaidi condemned the act, demanded adherence to laws and diplomatic norms, and directed that those responsible be held accountable. Sabereen News (KH — affiliated) reported on 3 October that PMF member Dhirgham Abu Ragheef had been arrested, attributing it to trampling American and Israeli flags during the celebration. Kadhim al-Fartousi (KSS — spokesman), quoted by iNEWS (KSS — affiliated), said 30 June was not a weapons-handover date, although al-Zaidi had set 30 June 2027 for completing state control of weapons. KSS had committed on Thursday to the agreement and the commander-in-chief’s address unless the other party breached its obligations. Nour Jafat (AAH — Sadiqoun General Assembly member) made completed sovereignty conditional on passing the PMF law, whereas al-Zaidi declared on Saturday that Iraq had restored full sovereignty. Shafaqna Iraq reported that the 18-article bill needed substantial amendments to secure agreement among political blocs. The legislative step remains cabinet referral, not parliamentary passage.

In Nineveh, the Defence Ministry said two Iraqi soldiers were killed and two others wounded on Sunday by an IED left by ISIS remnants. The explosion occurred during a search and inspection operation north of the Rawa desert, south of Nineveh. The ministry said the wounded soldiers were transferred to hospital for treatment. The US-led coalition meanwhile pledged over $75 million for anti-ISIS efforts in Iraq and Syria.

Kadhim al-Fartousi (KSS — spokesman) was quoted by iNEWS (KSS — affiliated) as saying on 3 October that 30 June was not a weapons-handover date. The channel’s headline also rejected merger and handover. That differs from The New Region’s 1 October report that KSS had committed to disarm by the end of June 2027. KSS’s own statement that day committed to the agreement and the commander-in-chief’s address unless the other party breached its obligations. Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi had set 30 June 2027 for completing state control of weapons.

In Baghdad, Sabereen News (KH — affiliated) reported on 3 October that PMF member Dhirgham Abu Ragheef had been arrested. It attributed his arrest to trampling American and Israeli flags during the Sovereignty Day celebration, held on Thursday to celebrate the coalition withdrawal. Al-Zaidi on Sunday ordered an investigation into the US-flag incident at the parade. His spokesman Sabah al-Numan said the prime minister condemned the act and stressed compliance with laws and diplomatic norms. Al-Zaidi also directed that those responsible be held accountable.

Sadiqoun General Assembly member Nour Jafat (AAH — Sadiqoun) made completed sovereignty conditional on passing the PMF law, speaking on Al-Ahad TV (AAH — official). That differs from al-Zaidi’s 30 September declaration that sovereignty was complete with the end of the coalition’s military mission. Reconstruction and Development Coalition member Ammar Yasser al-Janabi said his coalition was working with Sadiqoun for prompt passage. Israa Najm (AAH — Sadiqoun General Assembly member) urged treatment of the PMF like other government institutions. Shafaqna Iraq reported that passage of the 18-article bill depended on substantial amendments to secure agreement among political blocs. The legislative step remains cabinet referral, not parliamentary passage.

Payment complaints accompanied the legislative demands: iNEWS carried Ahmad Karim al-Dalfi’s call for the Finance Ministry to explain reported cuts or suspensions of Article 54 entitlements. His post requested an urgent official statement setting out any action and its legal grounds. He sought protection for wounded personnel, retirees and martyrs’ families, alongside parliamentary, constitutional and legal follow-up. In a separate programme caption, iNEWS alleged that injured security personnel were without allowances.

Separately, Sabereen News and Unit 10,000 (KH — affiliated) alleged that Azm’s Planning Ministry nominee had relatives belonging to terrorist organizations and corruption convictions in absentia. Unit 10,000 identified the nominee as Saddam Hussein Habib Abd al-Tamimi. Its displayed letter appears to describe a six-year sentence followed by release under a Federal Court of Cassation decision. The captions mentioned the conviction but omitted the subsequent release. Al-Fartousi meanwhile forecast Monday as the expected date for completing the cabinet, after iNEWS reported that absent consensus was delaying completion.

On Iranian aviation, Al-Nujaba TV (Nujaba — official) credited Nujaba supporters on 3 October with reopening Iraq’s skies to Iran. Nujaba had held a sit-in at Najaf airport on 28 September against restrictions on Iranian flights. Foreign Minister Fuad Hussein instead announced on 2 October that U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent had approved a pilgrimage-flight exemption from sanctions on Iranian aviation. Hussein attributed the exemption to bilateral talks.