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Iraq adopts Apple as a trusted platform to promote electronic payments

he head of the executive body of the Media and Communications Commission, Baligh Abu Kalal, announced on Thursday that Apple has been approved as a verified digital platform to operate in Iraq, after completing all the requirements and procedures stipulated in the framework regulations for digital platforms and services. Iraqeconomy updates

Abu Kalal said in a statement received by Shafaq News Agency that the accreditation includes classifying Apple as a trusted digital service provider for its services represented by ( App Store , Apple Music , Apple Podcasts , Apple Arcade , and Apple Ads ), after it has met the technical and legal requirements approved by the Media and Communications Commission, which allows the provision of these services within an official regulatory framework that is consistent with the laws and regulations in force in the Republic of Iraq.

He pointed out that the adoption of global digital platforms falls within a strategy aimed at aligning the services of international companies with Iraqi legislation, ensuring the protection of users’ rights, supporting the digital economy, and developing the investment environment in the information technology sector.

He added that the commission continues to work with major international companies and platforms to complete licensing and accreditation procedures, which will contribute to expanding the scope of digital services, regulating electronic payment operations, and enhancing Iraq’s presence in the global digital economy.

Shafaq.com

The minister is in charge of two ministries… Disarray and confusion threaten Al-Zaidi’s incomplete government!

The leader in the Reconstruction and Development Coalition, Muhammad al-Mutalibi, confirmed today, Thursday, that completing the ministerial cabinet is one of the sensitive and thorny issues, and requires a great deal of political intervention to resolve it, due to the thin line separating competence and professionalism on the one hand, and the electoral entitlement of the political blocs on the other, especially with regard to the sovereign ministries, specifically the security ministries.

Al-Mutalibi told Al-Maalouma that “candidates for security ministries must have experience, competence, and professionalism, as well as national acceptance,” explaining that “security ministries cannot be assigned to figures who represent the political ideology of the party to which they belong.”

He added that “the political blocs are seeking to mature the dialogues regarding the completion of the vacant ministries, in preparation for reaching understandings that will end this issue,” noting that “the next stage carries great challenges, especially in the files of sovereignty and combating corruption.”

Al-Mutalibi pointed out that “the challenges that Iraq is going through at the present stage also have an impact on completing the government cabinet,” stressing that “the Prime Minister cannot succeed in managing a government in which most ministers are responsible for two ministries, because this distracts the minister’s work, reduces his efficiency, and negatively affects the level of attention given to his ministry.” MiddleEast news

He continued, “The Prime Minister is the one paying the price for the delay in completing his cabinet formation, as this affects the government’s work at this sensitive stage, which requires intensive work to resolve many issues, especially those related to sovereignty, in addition to the salary issue and the oil export issue, which has been disrupted due to the war on the Islamic Republic and the closure of the Strait of Hormuz.”

Almaalomah.me

Iraqi electricity company brings good news to citizens regarding power supply hours.

The Iraqi Ministry of Electricity confirmed on Thursday that the national grid has witnessed a relative improvement in supply hours, indicating that this improvement came as a result of the combination of several factors. Iraqeconomy updates

The ministry spokesman, Ahmed Al-Turki, explained to Shafaq News Agency that “the factors that helped improve electricity include, first and foremost, the improvement in fuel supplies, whether through increasing the quantities of Iranian gas, and resuming part of the gas supplies from the Kurdistan Region fields.”

Al-Turki pointed out that “the entry into service of the electrical interconnection line with Türkiye, as well as the technical efforts made by the staff of the Ministry of Electricity in raising the readiness of the generating units, contributed to this improvement.”

He added that “the combination of these factors contributed to strengthening the stability of the electrical system and improving the level of equipment, as the total production of electrical energy exceeded 24,500 megawatts.”

Iraqi Electricity Minister Ali Saadi Wahib confirmed during his appearance in Parliament last Saturday that completing electricity interconnection projects with neighboring countries, along with addressing losses in the electricity grid, will contribute to raising energy production rates and improving supply hours in the coming phase.

The Ministry of Electricity attributes the decline in power supply hours to several factors, including reduced gas supplies and violations on the electrical grid, at a time when most governorates are experiencing widespread power outages, reaching the point of complete blackout in some areas.

Iraq has suffered for decades from a chronic electricity crisis that worsens during the summer with rising temperatures. Despite the implementation of successive government plans and the expenditure of large sums on the sector, supply levels remain below the citizens’ expectations.

Shafaq.com

80% of money is outside banks… Former MP calls for a new strategy to attract hoarded funds

Former MP Abbas Sarout confirmed on Thursday that 80% of Iraqi money is hoarded in homes, away from banks, noting the need to reconsider the strategy for attracting funds to the banking system.

Sarout explained to Al-Maalouma that “Iraq is suffering from a liquidity crisis that has begun to affect salary distribution, given that 80% of the money is hoarded outside banks. This requires serious attention to adopt a strategy that creates incentives to encourage citizens from all walks of life to deposit their money in banks and adopt electronic payment methods, a strategy used in most countries worldwide.”

He added that “this mechanism ensures the government’s ability to distribute salaries, grant loans and advances, and conduct financial transactions,” pointing out that “the majority of financial transactions in Iraq still rely on traditional methods, and this has many drawbacks.”

He stressed “the necessity of citizens having confidence to deposit their money in banks, as this will create balance, sustain the flow of funds, and foster greater flexibility, particularly in ensuring the financial capacity to meet obligations.” MiddleEast news

Almaalomah.me

The National Union and the New Generation are leading a movement to prevent the Democrats from seizing power.

The Patriotic Union of Kurdistan revealed on Thursday that negotiations to form the Kurdistan Regional Government are still ongoing between the political alliances and the forces that won the elections, which are striving with all their might to undermine the Democratic Party’s monopoly on power and prevent it from monopolizing all government positions.

Burhan Sheikh Marouf, a member of the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK), stated that the new alliance comprising the PUK and the New Generation Movement now holds 38 seats out of 100, compared to 39 seats for the Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP). He added that negotiations are ongoing among the winning parties to form the government.
He explained that the new alliance is making significant efforts to persuade the winning blocs to convene the first session of the new parliament to elect a leadership and distribute government positions. He noted that more than two years have passed since the Kurdistan Region elections without any political agreement being reached to resolve the allocation of government posts.

He added that the alliance, which includes the PUK and the New Generation Movement, is striving to prevent the KDP from monopolizing power and seizing all positions within the region.

Almaalomah.me

Exclusive: Factions set four conditions for freezing their response to Saudi Arabia

An informed source revealed on Thursday that the armed factions have “temporarily” frozen their decision to respond to Saudi Arabia, and have put forward their demands, which include an official apology and compensation from Saudi Arabia, otherwise they will proceed with a response. Dailynews reports

The source told Shafaq News Agency that “the factions that threatened to respond to the Saudi bombing that targeted a number of Popular Mobilization Forces headquarters in some provinces have frozen their decision to respond, and have made its implementation or non-implementation contingent on the extent of Saudi Arabia’s response to the event.”

He added that “the demands of the factions include Saudi Arabia acknowledging that it made a mistake in the bombing and paying financial compensation to the families of the victims, in addition to granting compensation for the damages inflicted on public property, and calming the Saudi media discourse against the factions in general, otherwise the factions will respond.”

This afternoon, the Security Media Cell announced on Thursday that it had raised the security readiness and combat preparedness in Iraq.

The cell said in a statement received by Shafaq News Agency: “Under the direction of the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces, it was decided to raise the level of security readiness and combat preparedness of the security and military forces, including the implementation of training exercises and troop movements.”

She added, “This is within the framework of maintaining the high level of readiness of all security forces formations and enhancing their ability to perform their duties, which contributes to consolidating security and stability and protecting citizens and public interests.”

Regarding the position of the factions and their conditions, political researcher Ghaleb Al-Daami believes that “there is an Iraqi-Saudi rapprochement, and a genuine desire between the two countries to improve political, economic and security relations, including that Iraq should control weapons and not allow them to be directed against any Arab country.”

Al-Daami continues, during his interview with Shafaq News Agency, that “the conditions of the factions are not governmental, but rather they are from parties outside the state system and have no relation to the political system, and therefore they are not acceptable, because such matters are resolved only through the state, and Iraq has economic relations and common interests with Saudi Arabia in addition to oil and energy files, which the Prime Minister will discuss with Saudi officials during his upcoming visit.”

Prior to the official statement, a security source told Shafaq News Agency that orders had been issued by senior leaders to raise the level of readiness among the various branches of the security and military forces throughout Iraq.

The source said the orders included cancelling the leave of commanders and officers and keeping them on high alert.

She added that the precautionary measures coincide with the end of a deadline set by armed factions for the Iraqi government to take a position on Saudi Arabia, as well as preparations to carry out new arrests of those accused in corruption cases.

According to the sources, raising the level of preparedness is also linked to the decision taken by the State Administration Coalition regarding restricting weapons to official institutions and ending the activity of armed factions by September 30.

On Wednesday evening, the State Administration Coalition declared that entities engaging in behavior that threatens the country’s security outside the framework of official institutions are “outlaws and must be fought,” warning that any armed activity after September 30, 2026, will be subject to the provisions of the Counter-Terrorism Law.

On July 29, groups calling themselves the “Iraqi Resistance” announced that they had given the Iraqi government a deadline, ending this Thursday, to take action against Saudi Arabia, following accusations that it had targeted headquarters belonging to armed factions, threatening to retaliate if Baghdad did not take a stand.

Shafaq.com

Iraq declares “war” on armed groups outside the state

On Wednesday evening, the State Administration Coalition declared that entities engaging in behavior that threatens the country’s security outside the framework of official institutions are “outlaws and must be fought,” and warned that any armed activity after September 30, 2026, will be subject to the provisions of the Counter-Terrorism Law. Dailynews reports

This came during the 37th periodic meeting of the coalition, which was held at the Government Palace in the presence of the President of the Republic, the Prime Minister, the Speaker of Parliament, the President of the Supreme Judicial Council, and the President of the Kurdistan Region, Nechirvan Barzani, along with the leaders of the forces affiliated with the coalition.

The State Administration Coalition was established on September 25, 2022, as a political umbrella that brought together the Coordination Framework, the Kurdistan Democratic Party, the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan, the Sovereignty and Determination Alliances, and the Babylon Movement.

The coalition paved the way for the formation of the government headed by Mohammed Shia al-Sudani in October of the same year, before it turned into a coordinating framework for the forces participating in running the country, holding periodic meetings to discuss political, security and economic issues and to follow up on the implementation of agreements and the government program.

The coalition said in a statement received by Shafaq News Agency that the meeting discussed the political, security, economic and service conditions in the country, in addition to regional developments and their repercussions on Iraq.

During the meeting, the Prime Minister reviewed efforts to enhance security and stability, improve services, and implement the ministerial program, as well as government measures to address economic and financial challenges, stressing that the interests of citizens are at the forefront of priorities.

The attendees affirmed their support for efforts to maintain security and stability and to restrict weapons to the state in accordance with the ministerial program that was voted on by the House of Representatives and became an effective law, and to prevent the use of Iraqi lands as a launching pad for attacks on neighboring countries or to drag Iraq into conflicts that do not serve the interests of its people, considering those who engage in behavior that threatens the security of the country as outlaws who must be fought in accordance with the articles of the constitution that prohibit the use of weapons outside the will of the state or the formation of any armed organization outside the official armed forces.

The attendees condemned the attacks on Iraqi armed forces units that resulted in the killing of a number of its members, calling for adherence to the deadline set for the confiscation of weapons, which ends on September 30, 2026.

The statement added that any armed activity outside the framework of the state after this date “will be dealt with in accordance with the counter-terrorism law.”

On the economic front, the meeting discussed the measures necessary to ensure the continuity of essential services and projects, diversify oil export outlets, enhance non-oil revenues, and combat waste, smuggling, and corruption.

The coalition affirmed Iraq’s support for efforts to promote calm and dialogue, and rejected the use of force in settling disputes, expressing Baghdad’s readiness to play a role in bringing together the views of the parties to regional conflicts in a way that preserves the security of the region and common interests.

The meeting also discussed developments in neighboring countries and ways to enhance border security, combat terrorism, drugs and organized crime, and develop Iraq’s foreign relations on the basis of mutual interests, respect for sovereignty and non-interference in internal affairs.

At the conclusion of the meeting, the State Administration Coalition called for expediting the formation of the government and sending the government program to the House of Representatives for discussion and approval.

Shafaq.com

Iraq doubles its oil exports in July, easing the impact of declining Gulf supplies.

Data from Kpler showed that crude oil and condensate exports from the Gulf states stabilized during July at around 10.7 million barrels per day, a slight increase of 2% compared to June, but still about 40% lower than their levels before the escalation of tensions in the region. Dailynews reports

Iraq contributed to supporting the region’s exports after it doubled its exports compared to last June, benefiting from an increase in oil tanker shipments, which compensated for some of the decline in Saudi and Emirati exports.

Nevertheless, data showed a slowdown in oil flows during the second half of July as security tensions escalated in the Strait of Hormuz and the Red Sea, and the number of ships reporting attacks increased, prompting several tankers to change their routes or turn off their tracking systems while at sea.

The report noted that stable exports helped reduce concerns about global supply shortages, but oil tanker traffic through the Strait of Hormuz and Bab al-Mandab remains below pre-war levels, keeping geopolitical risks influential in energy markets.

Shafaq.com

“American flirtation”: Opening up to Syria strengthens Iraq’s regional standing

The American openness to the new Syria is not purely in Syria’s interest, but rather, according to the British website “Amwaj”, it represents an opportunity for Iraq and its regional role, on the political and economic levels. Dailynews reports

In what the British website described as the clearest indication yet that Washington intends to transform Damascus from a pariah state into an active regional partner, the report stated that the Donald Trump administration recently informed Congress of its intention to cancel Syria’s designation as a state sponsor of terrorism, following decisions to lift several sanctions against it.

The British website said in a report, translated by Shafaq News Agency, that the appointment of the US ambassador to Turkey, Tom Barrack, as a presidential envoy to Iraq and Syria indicates that Washington views the three countries as a unified stage for US policy in the region.

The report went on to say that for the government of Iraqi Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi, this rearrangement does not pose a threat, but rather an opportunity, provided that Iraqi officials view it correctly. It noted that the prevailing view among regional analysts is that Baghdad is in a risky position between Washington and Tehran, with Syria being another arena that Iraq must be wary of. However, it considered that the West’s transformation of Syria into an active player requires “a stable eastern flank, a flank that passes through Iraq.”

Therefore, the report concluded that lifting US sanctions on Syria creates pressure not to isolate the al-Zaidi administration, but to court it.

The report pointed out that the reconstruction of Syria requires land access, and Iraqi territory represents the corridor that can connect Damascus with Iran and the Gulf states.

The report noted that a hostile or chaotic Iraqi border would leave the new Syrian state exposed along its longest border at the very moment it is trying to consolidate its sovereignty, pointing to the proliferation of official crossings along the 599 km border between them.

The report quoted a prominent figure in the ruling coordination framework as saying that the security issue between the two sides represents “the axis around which the relationship between Baghdad and Damascus revolves,” explaining that cooperation between the two countries is likely to deepen “if both recognize that ISIS poses a common security threat,” noting that cooperation could expand further if the two neighbors could build “a common framework for participation that transcends sectarian considerations.”

In this context, the report stated that Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa had previously been arrested in Iraq on terrorism-related charges when he was a member of al-Qaeda, before later founding the Sunni armed group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham.

Referring to this past, the prominent figure in the coordination framework said that Iraqi-Syrian relations are still being shaped by “the character of its new government,” noting that, while this legacy will not be quickly forgotten in Baghdad, both sides now have a reason to move beyond it.

According to a prominent figure in the Iraqi Foreign Ministry, as reported in the report, rather than being imposed from the outside, Iraqi decision-makers have their own interests in rebuilding relations with Damascus, noting that the Iraqi-Syrian relationship is “gradually shifting from a mostly security framework to a more diplomatic and economic one,” a framework that includes, for example, the memorandum of understanding on the Kirkuk-Banias pipeline recently signed between them.

The report quoted the source in the Foreign Ministry as saying that the pipeline represents “Iraq’s strategic interest in diversifying its oil export routes,” and as a result, “Syrian territory holds great geopolitical importance for Iraq.” Iraqpolitical news

Outside the energy sector, the report quoted the diplomatic source as saying that the relationship between the Iraqi Shiite community and the many holy shrines inside Syria could play a crucial role in building relations, noting that this relationship “should not be understood solely as a religious or doctrinal issue,” but also that ensuring the stability of Syria serves the cause of maintaining internal security within Iraq itself.

The report also noted that al-Zaidi inherited the process of opening up to Syria from his predecessor, Muhammad Shia al-Sudani, and therefore it seems that the new Iraqi administration is moving forward in this direction.

He went on to say that Damascus, for its part, is not only courting Baghdad, recalling that al-Sharaa recently received Kurdistan Region President Nechirvan Barzani in Damascus with full presidential honors, in the first such visit by a senior official in the Kurdistan Region since the fall of Bashar al-Assad’s regime.

The report noted that these divergent paths indicate that Iraq’s openness to Syria is based on more than one Iraqi relationship at a time, even with Baghdad remaining its main channel.

The report said that Iraq could deepen relations with Western-backed Damascus, specifically because Washington wants it now, but it also cannot do so in a way that destroys its relationship with Iran.

The report quoted a source within the coordination framework as saying that cooperation with Syria would be sustainable, as long as the two countries “avoid adopting fundamentally contradictory positions on key regional issues,” including their respective approaches to Palestine, the Lebanese Hezbollah, and Iran.

The report concluded by saying that the Trump administration’s revocation of Syria’s designation as a terrorist state is usually interpreted in terms of its impact on Damascus. It continued, stating that “its most interesting effect may be on Iraq,” explaining that by making Syria’s reconstruction and security a Western priority, Washington has made Iraq’s cooperation crucial, and in diplomacy, value is leverage.

The report concluded by saying that Iraq is being “wooed into a role its leaders already wanted to play, and the only real question now is how open they are to playing that role.”

Shafaq.com