Friday, 30 October 2026

On oil revenues, government spokesman Haider al-Aboudi said Thursday that Baghdad was nearing an agreement with an international consortium led by Chevron to build an oil pipeline through Syria to Baniyas on the Mediterranean. His announcement followed al-Zaidi’s Wednesday visit to Damascus, where Syrian President Ahmad al-Sharaa received him. Al-Aboudi said Iraq must diversify its oil-export routes rather than depend on a single strategic outlet. Almost 90 percent of Iraq’s oil exports pass through the Strait of Hormuz, while oil accounts for about 90 percent of government revenue. The oil minister said exports exceeded 3.4 million barrels per day in October, moving through Hormuz, Turkey’s Ceyhan port and tanker trucks via Syria. Al-Aboudi also announced that al-Zaidi would visit Kuwait and Bahrain in the coming period to strengthen regional partnerships and economic cooperation.

In parliament, Sadiqoun MP Salem al-Abbsawi (AAH) said Thursday that the bloc had formally written to parliament’s presidency about the delayed PMF bill, which received cabinet approval on 29 September. Reconstruction and Development Coalition member Ali al-Obaidi also called for government clarification. Kurdistan24 meanwhile reported that US Presidential Special Envoy for Iraq and Syria Tom Barrack had proposed an end-of-June disarmament deadline while speaking in Doha on Thursday. He said disarmament required negotiated replacement arrangements, but specified no year and announced no completed agreement. Al-Zaidi had already set 30 June 2027 as Iraq’s deadline for bringing weapons under state control. Former MP Razzaq al-Haidari argued Friday that resistance weapons should instead be preserved as a source of strength for Iraq. Separately, the PMF Authority denied a televised activist’s allegation that Iranian advisers received Iraqi government salaries during the war against ISIS. It said Iran provided weapons and ammunition, some free of charge, and that 55 Iranian advisers were killed and many others wounded.

Sadiqoun MP Salem al-Abbsawi (AAH) said on Thursday that the bloc had formally written to parliament’s presidency to establish the fate of the delayed PMF bill. Speaking on Al-Ahad TV (AAH — official), he said MPs had collected signatures seeking reasons for the government’s delay in sending it to parliament. The letter followed Sadiqoun’s Tuesday request for an explanation after cabinet approval on 29 September. On Al-Ahad, Reconstruction and Development Coalition member Ali al-Obaidi also called for government clarification. Parliamentary Oil and Gas Committee member Alaa al-Haidari separately urged faster passage, saying the law had been delayed considerably.

Former MP Razzaq al-Haidari argued on Friday that resistance weapons should be preserved as a source of strength for Iraq. He accused American actors of trying to discredit those weapons to secure their abandonment. Kurdistan24 meanwhile reported that US Presidential Special Envoy for Iraq and Syria Tom Barrack had proposed an end-of-June disarmament deadline while speaking in Doha on Thursday. Barrack said disarmament required negotiated arrangements for what would replace the armed groups. He did not specify the year or announce a completed agreement. Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi had already set 30 June 2027 as Iraq’s deadline for bringing weapons under state control.

The PMF Authority on Thursday denied a televised activist’s allegation that Iranian advisers received Iraqi government salaries during the war against ISIS. It said Iran provided weapons and ammunition, some free of charge, and that 55 Iranian advisers were killed and many others wounded. Al-Nujaba TV (Nujaba — official) added its own dismissal of the allegation as misinformation before carrying the denial. Al-Ghadeer TV (Badr Organization — official) also carried the Authority’s condemnation of the allegation as an insult to wartime sacrifices. On Friday, political analyst Adnan al-Sarraj urged the media regulator to prevent satellite channels from hosting people who insult the PMF, speaking as a guest on Al-Ahad. He also alleged that American actors were linking the PMF to Iran to obstruct its law. Security expert Abbas al-Zaidi separately alleged that the criticism was deliberately timed to damage Iraq–Iran relations.

Qais al-Khazali (AAH — secretary-general) met Maysan MPs in Baghdad on Thursday over Shib border crossing’s closure, after Baghdad shut the province’s crossing with Iran on 20 October. His office said the visiting MPs described direct economic and development damage from the closure. Khazali called for follow-up with the relevant authorities to reach solutions serving Maysan residents. Sabereen News (KH — affiliated) reported that a Kataib Hezbollah delegation visited Maysan’s council president to discuss the closure. The delegation said the crossing supported commerce and the livelihoods of thousands of families. iNEWS (KSS — affiliated) also carried Maysan tribal sheikhs’ and notables’ demand to reopen Shib to revive provincial economic activity.