Tishwash: Iraq declares “Sovereignty Day” holiday from Wednesday to Sunday
On Saturday, the Cabinet issued a decision to suspend official working hours on the occasion of “Sovereignty Day”.
An official statement from the media office of Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi stated: It has been decided to suspend official working hours in state institutions starting from Wednesday, September 30, until Saturday, October 3, in celebration of the (Sovereignty Days) of the Republic of Iraq.
The complete withdrawal of foreign forces from Iraq is expected to be announced on September 30, after all their bases and camps have been handed over to the Iraqi side.
Al-Zaydi had previously directed all ministries, non-ministerial entities, and governorates to take the necessary measures in accordance with the law, in coordination with the government media cell, regarding the celebration of “Iraqi Sovereignty Day”.
Iraq and the United States had agreed in September 2024 to end the military mission of the international coalition led by Washington against the “Islamic State” organization in Iraq, as part of a phased plan to move the security relationship between the two countries from the framework of the coalition to a bilateral partnership.
The first phase of the mission ended in September 2025, while forces remained in the Kurdistan Region to support operations against the organization in Syria, with the final phase to be completed by the end of September 2026.
The international coalition was formed in 2014 to assist Iraqi forces in confronting ISIS, which at the time controlled large areas of Iraq and Syria. The mission of the coalition forces later shifted primarily to training, advising, and intelligence support, while Baghdad asserts that its forces are now capable of assuming responsibility for security and pursuing the organization’s cells link
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Trump on al-Zaidi: A great man and a friend of mine… I supported him
US President Donald Trump said his meeting with Iraqi Prime Minister Ali Faleh al-Zaidi “went very well.”
When a reporter asked Trump about the nature of the meeting with al-Zaidi, the US president replied, “It went very well. He’s a great guy and a friend of mine, and I’ve supported him.”
Three days earlier, Prime Minister Ali Faleh al-Zaidi met with US President Donald Trump in New York.
During the meeting, the two sides discussed bilateral relations and ways to strengthen cooperation and partnership between the two countries in the political, economic, and investment fields. They also reviewed the latest developments in the region and the joint efforts undertaken by Iraq and the United States to promote regional and international security and stability. link
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Tishwash: The Minister of Finance directs that procedures related to budget items be completed according to the specified timelines.
Finance Minister Faleh Sari directed on Saturday that work continue at an accelerated pace and that reviews and procedures related to budget items be completed according to the established timelines.
The ministry stated in a press release received by the Iraqi News Agency (INA) that “upon his return from New York, Finance Minister Faleh Sari convened a meeting of the Budget Preparation Committee to review the draft federal budget for 2027 and finalize its requirements, in preparation for its submission to the Council of Ministers soon.”
The minister directed “the continuation of work at an accelerated pace and the completion of reviews and procedures related to budget items according to the established timelines.” likn
Tishwash: MP Amer Abdul-Jabbar calls for amending economic policies to stop the “bleeding of wealth” in the dollar market.
MP Amer Abdul Jabbar revealed on Saturday (September 26, 2026) statistics with figures relating to the size of the losses resulting from the price gap between the official exchange rate of the dollar and its price in the parallel market.
Abdul-Jabbar said in a statement received by “Baghdad Today” that “the losses of the Iraqi people as a result of the price gap during the period of the previous government amounted to more than 27 billion and 312 million dollars,” indicating that “the average daily losses during that period amounted to about 21 million dollars every 24 hours.”
Abdul-Jabbar added that “the losses continued to record more than $2 billion and 155 million during the current government’s term until the end of last July,” noting that “the price difference rose in the current month of September to 290 dinars per dollar, which is the highest since 2003.”
Abdul Jabbar called on the Prime Minister to “urgently review economic, monetary, financial and trade policies to stop the bleeding of national wealth and transform it into sources that enhance the economic capabilities of the state and the people instead of depleting it.” link
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Tishwash: 40 American companies are waiting… Intensive Iraqi negotiations to resolve the issue of factions’ weapons.
An informed source revealed on Saturday that private meetings are continuing between the Quartet Committee and the leaders of the armed resistance factions, with the aim of reaching final agreements on the management, storage and organization of weapons, stressing that resolving this issue paves the way for more than 40 American companies to enter Iraq to start their projects.
The source told Shafaq News Agency that “Iraqi Prime Minister Ali al-Zubaidi asked the political leaders within the coordination framework, specifically the four-party committee concerned with negotiating with the factions, to intensify dialogues and meetings to reach understandings that end the controversy over the management and organization of weapons, in a manner consistent with the interest of Iraq and the region.”
He added that “Washington demanded from al-Zaidi guarantees that American companies, which number more than 40 investment companies in various fields, would not be targeted by resistance factions.”
According to the source, an important meeting will be held under the auspices of the Prime Minister after his return from Washington, between the Quartet Committee emanating from the Coordination Framework and the leaders of the factions that are hesitant to hand over weapons, in the presence of the Iranian ambassador or his representative, to discuss limiting and regulating the management of weapons officially, and to ensure that American companies that will arrive in Iraq after the official withdrawal of American forces from the country are not targeted.
He pointed out that “the meeting will also discuss the issue of integrating elements of those factions into the Popular Mobilization Forces within three months,” noting that “the faction leaders reject this, but their position may change after the meeting, and everyone is counting on that.”
For his part, Abdul Rahman al-Jazaeri, a leader in the National Oath Movement, which is part of the State of Law Coalition, confirmed to Shafaq News Agency that “the leaders of the four factions with whom negotiations are being conducted by the Quadripartite Committee have demanded the enactment of a special law to restrict, manage and regulate weapons by the House of Representatives, so that it acquires legal and official status, and preserves the rights of those factions under one name in the Popular Mobilization Forces.”
Al-Jazairi explained that “the issue of restricting weapons has become directly linked to the Iraqi-American relationship, as it is no longer an internal matter.”
He continued, saying that “the Prime Minister will work upon his return to expedite the procedures for completing the cabinet, especially the Ministries of Interior and Defense, given that the withdrawal process, according to the approved protocol, requires that the handover and American withdrawal be carried out through the signing of an official protocol with the ministers concerned with the security file, and therefore it is necessary to choose the Ministers of Interior and Defense.”
In a speech to the United Nations General Assembly on Friday, Iraqi Prime Minister Ali al-Zubaidi stressed that one of his government’s priorities is for the state to be the decision-maker in peace and war, emphasizing that weapons and instruments of power must remain in the hands of the constitutional state institutions, and that the law should be the arbiter and the national interest the compass.
The issue of armed factions is one of the most sensitive issues facing the Iraqi government, with the approach of September 30, which the main political forces have set as the deadline for restricting weapons to official institutions.
The State Administration Coalition, which includes the most prominent Shiite, Sunni and Kurdish political forces, stressed during its meeting on August 5 the need to restrict weapons to the state, and considered the parties that carry out activities that threaten the security of the country outside the framework of official institutions as “outlaws and must be fought.”
The coalition warned that any armed activity outside the framework of the state after September 30 would be dealt with according to the anti-terrorism law.
Last month, Baghdad witnessed security tensions coinciding with threats by armed factions to retaliate against Saudi Arabia, following strikes targeting Popular Mobilization Forces sites. The tensions ended with contacts and a dawn meeting between Prime Minister Ali Faleh al-Zubaidi and Badr Organization leader Hadi al-Amiri, which led to a mutual calming of tensions and opened the way for diplomatic action to address the crisis.
Al-Amiri later called on the “Islamic Resistance” factions to postpone any military response against Saudi Arabia and to prioritize “Iraq’s higher interest,” but he returned and stressed during a meeting with a number of Popular Mobilization Forces leaders the importance of maintaining a high level of readiness.
The plan to restrict weapons does not have a unified position among the armed factions, as some forces have expressed a willingness to reorganize their military and security relationship with the state. Other factions, including Kataib Hezbollah, Harakat al-Nujaba and Kataib Sayyid al-Shuhada, have announced their refusal to give up their military capabilities, and have linked any discussion about their weapons to the end of the presence of foreign forces and ensuring the protection of Iraq from external attacks.
The September 30th date also coincides with the deadlines related to ending the military presence of the international coalition in Iraq, which some factions use as a basis for linking the future of their weapons to the withdrawal of foreign forces. link
