The Daily Digest
Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi directed a package of initiatives to stimulate the economy and finance projects. He also directed the release of payments due to contractors and farmers. The Finance Ministry has set $100 at 150,000 dinars in the budget. An MP said parliament would host the finance minister for a budget briefing, following the ministry’s reported 26.32 trillion Iraqi dinar deficit for the seven months to the end of July. The budget exchange rate differs from today's parallel-market rates: 159,050 IQD per 100 USD at Baghdad’s al-Kifah market and 159,500 IQD per 100 USD in Erbil.
The 2027 budget is also on the agenda of a Coordination Framework meeting with al-Zaidi later today, alongside cabinet completion and weapons control, an informed source told Shafaq News. The weapons discussion follows the alliance’s reaffirmation on Friday of 30 June 2027 as the deadline for resolving weapons outside state control. Al-Janoub TV (Harakat al-Jihad wal-Bina — official) reported that the parliamentary session to complete the cabinet had been postponed until next week. It attributed the delay to candidate disputes over Labour and Social Affairs, Youth and Sports, and Planning, Construction and Housing. Reconstruction and Development Coalition member Saif al-Mansouri said blocs offered three options per ministry and the prime minister could choose. Tasnim named Laith al-Khazali, brother of AAH secretary-general Qais al-Khazali, and former planning minister Mohammed Tamim among deputy-premiership possibilities.
Commander-in-chief spokesperson Sabah al-Numan announced arrests on Sunday over the flag-trampling incident at Thursday’s PMF Sovereignty Day parade in Baghdad. Nujaba’s military deputy Abdul Qadir al-Karbala’i demanded immediate release on 4 October for those detained over trampling American and Israeli flags. He called the arrests a dangerous precedent and defended the act as freedom of expression. Kurdistan24 reported that a video showed Akram al-Kaabi (Nujaba — secretary-general) himself trampling a US flag. On weapons, Jaafar al-Husseini (KH — military spokesman) rejected binding government schedules for the Islamic Resistance, in remarks reported by UA.NEWS citing the Jerusalem Post. On legislation, Mahdi al-Husseini (AAH — Sadiqoun political office) rejected personally motivated amendments to the PMF law. Al-Ghadeer TV (Badr Organization — official) described the bill as before parliament, while MP Ahmad al-Saadi said it had not arrived. The legislative step remains cabinet referral, not parliamentary passage.
Separately, the Counter-Terrorism Service replaced its Kirkuk regiment commander after the Altun Kupri operation killed two civilians, a security source told Shafaq News on Sunday. The service reinstated the former commander. A committee ordered by al-Zaidi continues to investigate the operation. Reconstruction and Development Bloc spokesperson Abbas Hiyal described the Altun Kupri incident as overblown. He also urged reliance on the army and called an ISIS return impossible.
At Najaf, Iranian flights have landed after a US sanctions exemption. The arrivals follow al-Zaidi’s office approving 40 daily Iranian airline flights to and from Najaf International Airport on Friday, excluding Mahan Air. Unit 10,000 (KH — affiliated) said Iraqi Airways would resume direct flights to Iran starting Thursday.