TNT:
Tishwash: “The Baghdad dinar is disappearing… Close the borders!” The final solution is to abolish Iraq’s paper currency!
Perhaps no country in the world has abolished paper currency, but amidst the anxiety surrounding discussions in the local market and among banks—both those sanctioned and those not—within an economy mired in a ceaseless war, an Iraqi expert and academic believes that the chaos plaguing the financial market necessitates the “complete abolition of paper currency” and its conversion into a bank card for every citizen.
This is preferable to other proposals for addressing the escalating liquidity crisis. “Neither removing zeros nor replacing denominations with larger ones (such as a 100,000 dinar note) will work,” he argues.
He suggests that abolishing paper currency would bring all “buried, stolen, and smuggled funds back” in a documented and verifiable manner. However, this expert also calls for a measure to be implemented: “closing the borders” so that Baghdad can effectively nullify the value of “stolen, buried, and smuggled dinars” within the country or in neighboring states like Turkey and Iran.
He does not, however, specify a timeframe for closing the borders! While this proposal appears desperate, it reflects the intensity of the debate among Iraqi financial experts regarding how to address the “disappearance of the dinar and liquidity” from the market and the resulting scarcity that hinders salary payments and stifles daily economic activity.
According to expert Safwan Qusay, in a conversation with journalist Mona Sami, which was followed by 964 Network .
Economic expert Safwan Qusay stated, “Our problem is that the Central Bank issued currency worth 106 trillion dinars, 40 trillion of which are within the banking system, while more than 60 trillion dinars remain in the form of cash in the pockets of Iraqis. This amount does not enter the banking system, so we need to call these funds to find out where they are. Here, opinions vary.”
Some advocate removing zeros as long as a new currency is to be printed.
Some argue that there is no need to remove zeros and print more currency, but rather to move towards using only electronic payment cards. They suggest giving Iraqis a grace period, say until the end of the year, during which they would deposit all their savings into the card. This would lead to a halt in cash purchases, causing paper currency to lose its legitimacy. People would then be forced to deposit cash into the card, which would have a special code that, if entered into the banks, would be monitored. Any money that is missing would be discarded.
He added: “This should include each category separately; all categories should not be included at once. Such a measure requires closing the borders, because there is a portion of the dinar that some suspect is outside Iraqi borders, since the Iranian currency has been subjected to many shocks, so it is not unlikely that they have saved Iraqi money.
The same applies to the Turks. Therefore, the process begins with closing the borders, recovering the money, and then injecting it back into circulation in a legitimate way through the electronic card. At that point, the legitimacy of money not belonging to the government, especially buried money, will be lost, and this measure will restore the prestige of the Iraqi dinar.” link
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Tishwash: The oil and gas law: Iraq’s wealth held hostage by political disputes
The oil and gas law remains shrouded in dust after years spent in the halls of parliament, amidst ongoing political and technical disputes that have prevented its final approval.
This is despite the law’s crucial role in regulating the management of oil and gas resources and defining mechanisms for revenue distribution between the federal government, the regions, and the provinces. Among the contentious issues is the relationship between Baghdad and the Kurdistan Region regarding the management of oil fields, revenues, and constitutional powers.
In this regard, Firas al-Muslawi, spokesperson for the Reconstruction and Development parliamentary bloc, told Al-Maalomah, “The oil and gas law is one of the most frequently postponed laws in the Iraqi parliament, most recently in the previous parliamentary session. The reasons for its non-approval stem from a number of political and technical problems,” indicating that “its approval is still far off.”
He added, “Among the most prominent political reasons are the objections from the Kurdistan Region and the Kurdish blocs, despite the law’s importance and Iraq’s need for it, as it is a vital piece of legislation that can contribute to achieving social justice in the distribution of wealth among the provinces.”
Al-Musalmawi stated that “there is a need to address the outstanding points of contention between the Kurdistan Region and the federal government, and to reach understandings that allow for the enactment of the law in a way that guarantees the rights of all parties and resolves the issues related to the management of oil wealth.”
The oil and gas law faces a postponed fate after being repeatedly postponed from one parliamentary session to the next, despite its direct link to the national wealth file, the management and distribution of oil revenues, and its impact on the lives of citizens and the Iraqi economy. This makes its resolution one of the legislative issues still awaiting political and technical consensus.
For his part, MP and former minister Zuhair al-Jalabi revealed to Al-Maalomah that “the issue of annexing land from Nineveh Governorate for the benefit of the Kurdistan Region is practically settled, especially since the administrative boundaries of the governorates are defined within the Ministry of Planning and cannot be changed except by a decision of the Council of Representatives through a vote on a new administrative map of the governorates.”
He added that “the issue of the oil and gas law, despite talk of obstacles related to shared lands and the ownership of oil fields, whether for Baghdad or the region, is a bigger problem because many countries are trying to ensure that such a law is not passed.”
He explained that “the countries seeking to prevent the law’s passage benefit from oil smuggling, the rampant corruption in the relevant ministry, and the chaos associated with this file. Some countries are trying to ensure the continuation of this scenario to guarantee the achievement of their interests.”
While discussions continue within the House of Representatives and among relevant parties regarding the drafting of a law acceptable to all sides, the question remains: how long will the oil and gas law remain hostage to political disputes?
Will the political forces succeed in reaching a formula that balances the constitutional powers of the federal government with the rights of the regions and provinces, ensuring more transparent management of oil wealth and the distribution of revenues according to legal and constitutional principles that safeguard the rights of all Iraqis? link
Tishwash: A currency speculation network was dismantled and illegal funds and money transfers were seized in central Baghdad.
About the news
Federal Intelligence and Investigations Agency: Dismantling a network involved in currency speculation and illegal money transfers.
Local and international sums of money were seized in the center of Baghdad.
Recording the statements of the accused, including their confessions, and having them legally ratified.
The Federal Intelligence and Investigations Agency stated in a statement on Wednesday that detachments of the Organized Crime Directorate in Rusafa, based on accurate intelligence information, were able to detect a fake office without a sign, which was being used to conduct money transfers and financial transactions in dollars outside the legal frameworks.
The agency’s detachments carried out an operation that resulted in the seizure of the office and the arrest of three defendants caught in the act.
These individuals were arrested while conducting financial transactions and local and international transfers outside of legal controls.
The arrest operation came after the formation of an intelligence team, verification of information, and obtaining the necessary judicial approvals.
The statements of the accused were recorded as confessions and were judicially ratified, before they were referred to the competent judicial authorities to take legal action against them.
Meanwhile, the Ministry of Interior announced on Wednesday that the Baghdad/Rusafa Police Command carried out a security exercise and a preemptive search campaign in the Al-Nuairiyah area, with the participation of a number of security, intelligence and support formations.
She said that “the campaign targeted the pursuit of wanted individuals and the seizure of violations and unlicensed weapons, resulting in the arrest of a number of wanted individuals in accordance with Articles (28) of the Narcotics Law and (456) of the Penal Code, and (8) violators of residency conditions, and the seizure of a warehouse for selling alcoholic beverages in violation of instructions, and the arrest of (4) people in possession of unlicensed weapons, in addition to the seizure of two Kalashnikov rifles and two pistols.” link
Tishwash: Finance Minister to World Bank: We are proceeding with the implementation of automation projects and moving them to practical steps
Finance Minister Faleh Sari affirmed to a World Bank delegation on Thursday that the ministry is committed to implementing automation projects and moving them into practical steps.
The ministry stated in a press release received by the Iraqi News Agency (INA) that “Finance Minister Faleh Sari received a World Bank delegation headed by the Regional Director for the Middle East, Dalia Khalifa, and the Bank’s Country Director for Iraq, Emmanuel Salinas, to discuss financial reform, the development of financial management tools, and the automation projects the ministry is working to implement.”
According to the statement, the minister emphasized that “the ministry is committed to implementing automation projects and moving them into practical steps, which will contribute to developing work procedures, increasing the efficiency of resource and data management, and enhancing oversight and transparency in financial institutions.”
He also noted “the importance of the World Bank’s role in supporting the automation project and benefiting from its technical expertise in developing financial systems,” explaining that “cooperation with the Bank encompasses a number of vital sectors related to financial and economic reform.”
For their part, representatives of the World Bank praised “the measures taken by the Ministry of Finance in developing the financial and banking sector,” stressing “the Bank’s commitment to continuing cooperation with the Ministry to ensure the success of joint projects in Iraq, noting the growing interest of major international companies in the Iraqi market.” link
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Tishwash: America presents al-Zaidi with two options: restricting weapons or imposing comprehensive sanctions that will topple the government and its president.
Baghdad seems to have woken up to the most intense wave of American warnings since the formation of Ali al-Zaidi’s government.
Washington has completely lost patience with the policy of “buying time” regarding the factions and has decided to present the Prime Minister with two stark choices: either genuinely “restrict the factions’ weapons” or face comprehensive sanctions that would topple him and his government from the political scene and plunge the Iraqi economy into chaos, reminiscent of the aftermath of the invasion of Kuwait.
Al Jazeera Net, in a report reviewed by 964 Network on Wednesday (September 16, 2026), reveals that two extremely harsh American cables arrived at al-Zaidi’s office. The first nullified all previous government measures and deemed his efforts to “restrict weapons” a mere formality, while the second contained direct threats of isolation and crippling sanctions. While the factions sought a diplomatic way out by softening the language to “regulating weapons” or “gradually” disarming them, the leaders of the Coordination Framework rejected this maneuver, clinging to the term “restriction” unequivocally to avoid the consequences of a confrontation with Washington. link
