Prime Minister Mohammed Shia Al-Sudani discussed, today, Sunday, with the British Ambassador to Iraq, Stephen Hitchcock, setting a new date for the former’s visit to the United Kingdom.

During the meeting, the Prime Minister stressed the need for the international community and the UN Security Council to play their essential role in maintaining security and stability, especially with what is happening in the region, from the continuation of the Zionist aggression on Gaza and Lebanon, and the persistence and exaggeration in targeting civilians in a war of genocide that requires condemnation and denunciation from the entire world, and requires respect for international laws and not violating them by any party.

During the meeting, they discussed the progress of relations between the two countries and ways to enhance them, as well as setting a new date for the Prime Minister’s visit to the United Kingdom, which had previously been postponed due to developments in the region.  link

Tishwash:  Planning: The annual inflation rate in Iraq is slight and does not exceed 3%

The Ministry of Planning confirmed, today, Saturday, that the annual inflation rate in Iraq does not exceed 3%, noting that the procedures for providing the food basket and its materials in the markets have maintained prices and prevented inflation rates from rising.

Ministry spokesman Abdul Zahra Al-Hindawi told the Iraqi News Agency (INA): “One of the reasons for the rise in the inflation rate at times is the presence of a large cash mass in circulation in market and commercial transactions,” noting that “the annual inflation rate in Iraq is slight, not exceeding 3%.”
He added that “if we want to compare this rate with what exists in some countries, it is incomparable, as there are wild increases in them,” noting that “a rate of 3% is normal and logical in light of the Iraqi reality.”

He continued, “The measures taken by the government regarding supporting the food basket have clearly maintained prices in local markets and prevented their inflation,” noting that “the increase in any country increases inflation rates, but in Iraq the situation is under control thanks to government measures.”

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Tishwash:  Al-Sudani asked the ruling coalition to “move quickly before war”

 Government official: Tehran stalls when asked to curb factions

A senior government official confirmed that Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani informed the leaders of the “Coordination Framework” with comprehensive details about the “expected risks to Iraq” resulting from the escalation between Israel and Iran, while stressing that Tehran is practicing “deception” when asked to keep factions away from the ongoing war.

Concern increased among political and governmental circles that Iraq would be exposed to a strike after two Israeli soldiers were killed in a drone attack on the Golan base, early Friday morning.

The official spoke to Asharq Al-Awsat, on condition of anonymity, about a set of measures that Al-Sudani is taking to avoid war, including “increasing the momentum of political mediation” to convince the factions not to involve Iraq in the war, and that he “informed the leaders of the Coordination Framework of everything about the risks, and called on them to move quickly.”

The official acknowledges the possibility of “the strike occurring,” even though “the information available to the Iraqi authorities indicates that the attack by the Iraqi factions was carried out from outside Iraqi territory with weapons that arrived from Iraq,” he said.

Sudanese mediations

The source revealed that the mediators chosen by Al-Sudani to pressure the factions have approval from Iran to talk about the war file and the conditions for calm with its agents in Iraq.

The source said, “The three figures had previously been asked to mediate in certain events over the past few years.”

Last week, Asharq Al-Awsat revealed that Prime Minister Mohammed Shia Al-Sudani had asked three Shiite figures to mediate to rein in the factions and prevent them from getting involved in the war between the Lebanese Hezbollah and Israel, after information was circulated within the ruling coalition that Israel had identified 35 Iraqi targets.

Sources said at the time that Ammar al-Hakim was among these figures, along with two influential figures in the Shiite space who have not yet been revealed.

In contrast, there are reports that two Iraqi factions, likely the Al-Nujaba Movement led by Akram al-Kaabi, and the Hezbollah Brigades led by Abu Hussein al-Hamidawi, are refusing to respond to mediators and insisting on continuing to launch missile attacks on Israel.

The Iraqi official acknowledged the existence of “intransigence among some factions,” but the Prime Minister realizes that his country is in the “eye of the storm,” and has informed most of the leaders of the “Coordination Framework” of this.

The official reported that “Al-Sudani literally said: Iraq is unable to avoid a military strike if it occurs, and we must remove the danger from the country by not getting involved in the war.”

Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei said during his Friday sermon that “the Islamic Republic’s allies in the region will not back down,” reinforcing fears that Iraqi factions linked to Iran will not back down from their decision to attack Israel.

Iraqi sources reported that the “Coordination Framework” coalition discussed what was said to be a “security report on dozens of targets to be struck and assassinated by Israel in Iraq.”

Government efforts to prevent escalation

The official stated that “Al-Sudani, unlike some previous prime ministers, did not allow the exit of Iraqi funds to feed the conflict axes, through his high coordination with the American side and the American Treasury to monitor the exit of Iraqi funds in a strict manner, and he often demands that the Iranians enter through the official gates to obtain their financial dues owed by Iraq.”

The official added, “Today, international auditing companies are working alongside the Central Bank to monitor the exit and smuggling of money, and what is happening today is that all the money gates that were open are now completely closed.”

The official revealed that “the United States of America informed Iraq since the outbreak of the war in Gaza on October 7, 2023 that it had put pressure on Israel to prevent it from launching strikes on Iraq, in exchange for Iraq’s commitment not to engage in the war.”

The official added, “Washington does not oppose the positions of the Iraqi government, which is within the green line of issuing statements against Israel and supporting the Lebanese and Palestinian peoples, as well as sending aid,” but “it will not accept Iraq providing any material or military support to factional groups or others.”

Regarding the possibility of the Iraqi authorities asking the Iranian side to rein in the factions affiliated with it, the official confirmed that “Tehran is practicing a kind of trickery in this direction, as its response often hints that the factions have their own decision and the understanding with them is like the government.”

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