TNT:
Tishwash: Al-Zaidi meets Trump in New York
Prime Minister Ali Faleh al-Zaidi met today, Wednesday, in New York with US President Donald Trump to discuss the latest developments in the region and the joint efforts being made by Iraq and the United States to enhance security.
The Prime Minister’s Media Office stated in a statement that “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 enhance 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 made by Iraq and the United States to promote regional and international security and stability. link
Tishwash: National Wealth Unit
The absence of a federal law on oil and gas since 2007 until today has led to alternating periods of stagnation and escalating conflicts between the federal government and the producing provinces. Throughout that period, there were no serious intentions to resolve this vital issue related to the state’s economy, which allowed for a competitive war of corruption, smuggling, and the exorbitant enrichment of many figures and names who established financial empires that could finance the budgets of small countries in our regional vicinity.
This law, for those who do not know it, represents the basic pillar of the structure of the economy, which is subject to the dominance of oil revenues by (90 percent). Its enactment will enhance the confidence of international investors and support the exchange rate of the Iraqi dinar through the flow of hard currency and establish fair mechanisms for the distribution of revenues. In addition to providing an investment environment for the development of fields and the investment of associated gas, the existence of a stable legislative framework encourages global energy companies to double production to confront the shocks of declining revenues and absorb financial disputes.
The Oil and Gas Law embodies the people’s ownership of their national wealth, as confirmed by Article (111) of the Iraqi Constitution, which is the supreme and highest law in the country.
This article stipulates that oil and gas are the property of the Iraqi people in all regions and governorates. It also regulates how this national wealth is to be held by the state and under the control of the federal government, taking into account the fair and just distribution of its revenues in proportion to the population distribution throughout the country, as indicated by Article (112) of the Iraqi Constitution.
On another front, the enactment of this law establishes a mechanism for distributing a portion of the profits generated from crude oil sales to several funds, including a Citizen’s Fund, a Reconstruction Fund, a Generations Fund, and other long-term financial reserves.
Since the fall of the regime until today, some oil- and gas-producing provinces may have suffered injustice. The management of the country’s wealth must be exclusively in the hands of the federal government, and its revenues must be distributed fairly and equitably according to population size. This can only be guaranteed by the Oil and Gas Law, as it is not merely a passing piece of legislation, but rather the cornerstone for restructuring the Iraqi economy.
The continued obstruction of such a law for years, due to political disputes and the prioritization of narrow interests, has cost the public treasury enormous losses and kept the country in a state of financial instability. Therefore, it has become imperative for the House of Representatives to end the state of conflicting constitutional interpretations and reliance on temporary understandings, and to establish fair mechanisms for distributing revenues between the federal government and the producing regions and governorates, and to put an end to the duality of oil policies and protect the unity of national wealth.”
As for the contentious clauses, the best solution lies in adopting a consensual formulation that guarantees the producing governorates a wider scope in managing their affairs, while the sovereign decision to contract and market remains unified in the hands of the federal government. Continuing to obstruct this law is not a strategic option, but rather a sacrifice of Iraq’s future for immediate political gains. It is time for the political forces to overcome their differences and put the national interest above all considerations, in order to find a real entry point for economic reform and financial stability. link
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Tishwash: Prime Minister: The government is proceeding with restructuring the fundamental aspects of fiscal policy in Iraq.
Prime Minister Ali Faleh al-Zaidi affirmed on Wednesday that the government is proceeding with restructuring the fundamental pillars of fiscal policy in Iraq.
The Prime Minister’s Media Office stated in a press release received by the Iraqi News Agency (INA) that “Prime Minister Ali Faleh al-Zaidi met in New York, after midnight on Tuesday, Baghdad time, with Jihad Azour, Director of the Middle East and Central Asia Department at the International Monetary Fund (IMF), and his accompanying delegation.”
The statement added that “the meeting addressed developments in the global economic landscape, the repercussions of the crisis in the region and its impact on markets, prices, supply chains, and inflation rates, as well as its effects on energy consumption and oil prices.”
According to the statement, the Prime Minister emphasized that “the government is proceeding with restructuring the fundamental pillars of fiscal policy in Iraq through expanding the automation system and gradually transitioning towards a program and performance-based budget, within the framework of the 2027 budget project.”
For his part, Azour affirmed the IMF’s readiness to continue cooperating with Iraq and strengthening the path of economic and financial reforms, in a way that contributes to consolidating financial and economic stability in Iraq. link
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Tishwash: The Prime Minister emphasizes the importance of expanding partnerships with major international companies to develop the oil sector.
Prime Minister Ali Faleh al-Zaidi emphasized on Wednesday the importance of expanding partnerships with major international companies to develop the oil sector.
The Prime Minister’s Media Office stated in a press release received by the Iraqi News Agency (INA) that “Prime Minister Ali Faleh al-Zaidi met in New York, after midnight on Tuesday, Baghdad time, with ExxonMobil CEO Darren Woods and his accompanying delegation.”
The statement added that “the meeting addressed prospects for cooperation and partnership with ExxonMobil in the areas of oil exploration and the development of existing fields, contributing to increased production and optimal investment of oil resources.”
According to the statement, the Prime Minister stressed the importance of expanding partnerships with major international companies and leveraging their expertise and modern technologies to develop the oil sector, given Iraq’s focus on increasing its production capacity and enhancing the efficiency of investment in its natural resources. link
Tishwash: The Prime Minister affirms to a delegation from the American company HKN the government’s intention to organize the Baghdad Energy Conference.
Prime Minister Ali Faleh al-Zaidi, during his meeting with a delegation from the American company HKN in New York, affirmed the government’s commitment to organizing the Baghdad Energy Conference, which will witness the announcement of new exploration blocks in Iraq.
The Prime Minister’s Media Office stated in a press release received by the Iraqi News Agency (INA) that “Prime Minister Ali Faleh al-Zaidi received in New York, after midnight on Tuesday, Baghdad time, the Chairman of the Board of Directors of the American company HKN, Ross Perot, and his accompanying delegation. HKN is a company specializing in the exploration and development of oil and gas fields.”
The Prime Minister called on the company to redouble its efforts, accelerate the pace of work, and increase the execution hours of its projects and contractual obligations in Iraq, particularly those related to increasing oil production.
He indicated the government’s intention to organize the Baghdad Energy Conference, which will witness the announcement of new exploration blocks in Iraq, representing significant investment opportunities for major international companies. He explained that the government will work to overcome obstacles and address problems that could delay the implementation of projects and the companies’ commitments.
For its part, the company’s delegation expressed its readiness for further cooperation, increased working hours, and accelerated execution to enhance the speed of completion and commitment to achieving the objectives. link
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Tishwash: Before sending it to parliament, Al-Zaydi drafted the “Popular Mobilization Forces Law” immediately upon his return from New York.
An informed source reported on Tuesday that Prime Minister Ali al-Zubaidi will submit the draft Popular Mobilization Forces Law, whose clauses have been amended according to the observations of parliamentary and political forces, to the House of Representatives as soon as he returns from the United States.
The source told Shafaq News Agency that the paragraph regarding amending the “legal age of the head of the Popular Mobilization Forces” needs to be amended or reformulated, as it indicates that the extension, renewal, and referral to retirement of the head of the Popular Mobilization Forces will be in the hands of the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces.
According to the information provided by the source, the aforementioned paragraph will be amended to grant the Prime Minister the authority to extend the term of the head of the authority for a limited period, not exceeding two years, and without renewal.
Last week, Iskandar Watout, a member of the parliamentary Security and Defense Committee, confirmed that the amended Popular Mobilization Forces Law would soon reach parliament for passage, after amendments were made to it.
There is near-political consensus to change the title of the head of the Popular Mobilization Forces to something equivalent to a ministerial position without a ministry, while the official name of the Popular Mobilization Forces remains unchanged.
Informed sources revealed that the draft laws on the structure of the Popular Mobilization Forces and on service and retirement will soon be referred to the Iraqi Parliament, after the removal of a number of controversial clauses that were subject to an American veto.
However, there is an American veto on some clauses of the Popular Mobilization Forces laws, and therefore the two drafts will be referred in their final form to the House of Representatives, in preparation for starting the procedures for legislating them according to the approved official contexts.
The US Treasury Department had placed “Al-Muhandis Company” on the sanctions list in October 2025, on the grounds that it was linked to financing armed factions and facilitating economic activities related to the Iranian Revolutionary Guard, which was met at the time with rejection and regret from the Iraqi government.
With regard to the military educational institutions affiliated with the Popular Mobilization Forces, legal or administrative objections related to the terms and conditions of nomination and acceptance, including institutions concerned with qualifying Popular Mobilization officers or admission channels to the Joint Staff College, are subject to official administrative and legal references within the organization. link
