State of law: Oil and financial disputes may be postponed until after the vote on the cabinet.

Imran Karkoush, a member of the State of Law Coalition, revealed on Tuesday the existence of deep disagreements among political blocs regarding the distribution of ministerial portfolios in the upcoming government. He also suggested that the decision on two sovereign ministries would likely be postponed until after the vote of confidence.

Karkoush told Al-Maalouma, “Political discussions are witnessing significant disagreements regarding some portfolios, specifically the Ministries of Oil and Finance, around which most of the current disputes are concentrated.”
He added, “The intensity of the disagreements may push the political blocs to postpone the decision on these two ministries until a later stage, after the vote on the government formation.” He indicated that “the cabinet is expected to be presented for a vote in the House of Representatives within the next few days.”

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MP: Parliament intends to decide on committee chairmanships after the vote on the cabinet

Member of Parliament Mukhtar al-Moussawi confirmed on Tuesday that Parliament will begin appointing the heads and deputies of parliamentary committees immediately after the vote on the cabinet, stressing the need to activate the oversight role without favoritism. Al-Moussawi told the Information Agency that “the committee heads are the essential element for strengthening parliamentary work, and the process of selecting each committee head and their deputies will be conducted through internal voting and under the direct supervision of the Parliament’s leadership.”

He added that “parliamentary committees are the actual driving force behind legislative and oversight work, therefore their performance must be free from any favoritism towards any executive body,” explaining that “the current session aims to truly activate the mechanisms of summoning and questioning ministers.”

He pointed out that “Parliament is striving to overcome the obstacles that hindered the oversight role during the previous parliamentary session, to ensure institutional performance that serves the public interest.”

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Warnings against “ministers of failure”… Adai calls on Al-Zidi to confront the pressures of the blocs and appoint competent individuals to ministerial positions.

MP Riyadh Adai warned the prime minister-designate on Tuesday against succumbing to pressure from certain political forces seeking to impose “incompetent” figures in the upcoming cabinet. He stressed the necessity of selecting professional ministers, free from the abhorrent quota system.

Adai told Al-Maalouma, “The current stage requires selecting a cabinet of competent and experienced individuals, completely avoiding figures who have previously proven their failure in managing the state’s key institutions.” He explained that “appointing ministers who do not rise to the level of responsibility will lead to a weak government that fails to meet the people’s aspirations.”
He added, “There is pressure being exerted by some political entities on the prime minister-designate to approve specific names lacking qualifications,” warning that “accepting this pressure will reproduce failure, and the prime minister-designate must bear full responsibility for choosing the most suitable individuals to lead the ministries.”

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Badr predicts the cabinet will be finalized within two days.

MP Qusay Abbas, from the Badr Bloc, indicated on Tuesday that the cabinet formation is likely to be finalized and presented to Parliament for a vote of confidence by the end of this week. He emphasized the continuation of intensive dialogues among political forces to overcome the remaining obstacles.

Abbas told the Information Agency, “Negotiations between the political blocs have made significant progress, and there are initial agreements suggesting the possibility of completing the cabinet before the weekend.” He explained that “the proposed names are subject to criteria of competence and political balance.”
He added that “the next few days will be crucial in finalizing the government formation and proceeding with the constitutional procedures within Parliament,” noting that “most parties have a genuine desire to expedite the formation of the government to address the current challenges.”

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The Kurdistan Democratic Party expects a delay in the formation of the Iraqi government due to “regional and international interference”.

The head of the Kurdistan Democratic Party bloc in the Iraqi parliament, Shakhwan Abdullah, predicted on Tuesday that the formation of the next federal government, headed by Prime Minister-designate Ali al-Zidi, would be postponed until next week, attributing the reason to international and regional interventions.

Abdullah told reporters that the ministries, in terms of their distribution among the three political components (Shiites, Kurds, and Sunnis), have been completed, but there are some obstacles that may prevent the vote on the government within the Iraqi parliament, represented by regional and international interventions, describing these interventions as a “reality that cannot be ignored” imposed since 2003, which played a role in the formation of successive governments after the fall of Saddam Hussein’s regime.

He pointed out that the interventions have brought about changes in some positions regarding some forces that want to participate in the new government, which they are not allowed to do, but there is insistence from some parties on their active participation, in reference to the American “veto” that rejects the involvement of armed factions in the Iraqi government.

The head of the Kurdistan Democratic Party bloc concluded his statement by saying: These interventions may delay the formation of the government for several days, and if an agreement is not reached tonight, the process of granting confidence will be postponed until next week.

Shafaq.com

For the first time since the region’s unrest, Iraq resumes exporting gas condensates to global markets.

The Undersecretary of the Ministry of Oil for Gas Affairs, Izzat Saber Ismail, announced on Tuesday that the Basra Gas Company had successfully resumed loading and exporting a shipment of condensate, after a forced halt due to the repercussions of the unrest that accompanied shipping and export operations in the region.

Ismail said in a statement received by Shafaq News Agency that Basra Gas Company was able to complete the loading of the tanker Dakosh with 50,000 cubic meters of condensates, stressing that the operation was completed successfully and in full compliance with the requirements of the tenders and the approved technical and commercial standards.

He added that the tanker departed today, after completing the technical and logistical procedures, noting that “this achievement was made possible thanks to the Ministry’s follow-up and the efforts of the staff of Basra Gas Company, and through continuous communication with the relevant authorities in the related companies, which contributes to overcoming challenges and ensuring the smooth flow of export operations.”

The Undersecretary for Gas Affairs affirmed that “the achievements made during times of crisis are evidence of success, perseverance, and a high sense of responsibility,” expressing his hope that the loading and flow of tankers will continue normally in the coming days, which will contribute to strengthening the stability of export operations and fulfilling obligations towards contracting parties.

Ismail pointed out that the Ministry and Basra Gas Company continue to support gas investment operations and maximize the benefit from hydrocarbon products, which enhances national revenues and supports the energy sector in Iraq.

Shafaq.com

Badr Bloc: Al-Zaydi will face failure if he does not present his cabinet on Thursday.

MP Shaker Abu Turab Al-Tamimi, from the Badr parliamentary bloc, revealed on Tuesday that disagreements continue within the Coordination Framework forces regarding the distribution of ministries, warning that Prime Minister-designate Ali Al-Zidi will fail to form a government if he does not present his cabinet by next Thursday.

Al-Tamimi told Shafaq News Agency that “there are major disagreements between the blocs of the Coordination Framework regarding the ministries of oil, interior and finance, and these disagreements have delayed the submission of the ministerial cabinet to the House of Representatives.”

He added that “political blocs must consider the country’s interest and give up the principle of ‘I want this ministry or that one’”.

He pointed out that “the Ministry of Interior is the entitlement of the Badr bloc, but after it became clear that there was a major disagreement over this ministry, we gave it up, and we took two ministries that are less than our political entitlement, namely communications and transportation, and the naming of the two ministries has not been decided yet.”

Al-Tamimi explained that “the designated prime minister may present the cabinet to the House of Representatives next Thursday, and if he is unable to do so, he will fail to form the next government.”

He stressed that “the parliament’s failure to hold a confidence vote session on Thursday means that there are political parties that want to thwart the designated prime minister and prevent him from forming a government.”

Earlier today, the head of the Kurdistan Democratic Party bloc in the Iraqi parliament, Shakhwan Abdullah, predicted that the announcement of the formation of the next federal government, headed by Prime Minister-designate Ali al-Zidi, would be postponed until next week, attributing the reason to international and regional interventions.

Previous political leaks to Shafaq News Agency indicated that Al-Zidi intended to present about 14 ministerial portfolios to Parliament for confidence, amidst ongoing disputes between political forces over some sovereign and security ministries, particularly oil and defense, coinciding with the circulation of names of candidates for a number of ministries and senior positions.

Parliamentary sources also spoke of a political agreement to pass the government of Ali Faleh al-Zaidi during this week, after the ministerial program was submitted to the parliament’s presidency.

Al-Zaydi was tasked with forming the government on April 27, 2026, succeeding Mohammed Shia Al-Sudani.

Shafaq.com

Iraqi crude oil takes center stage amid rising global oil prices

Iraqi crude oil topped the list of gains in global oil markets on Tuesday, driven by rising futures contracts for most global and Arab crudes, amid continued volatility in global energy markets.

Basra Medium crude stood out among the highest-priced crudes in global and Arab markets, recording $118.09 per barrel, an increase of 4.85%, while Basra Heavy crude recorded $115.99 per barrel, an increase of 4.94%, ahead of a number of major Gulf crudes.

Globally, West Texas Intermediate crude rose to $98.84 a barrel, up 0.79%, while Brent crude reached $104.80 a barrel, up 0.57%.

In the Gulf markets, UAE crude Murban rose to $103.60 a barrel, an increase of 4.84%, after having recorded $101.50 a barrel, an increase of 2.71%.

Saudi Arabia’s Arab Extra Light crude rose to $113.67 a barrel, up 5.28%, while Arab Light crude reached $113.17, a 5.30% increase. Kuwait Export Crude, however, fell 5.18% to $114.23 a barrel.

In the UAE, Upper Zakum crude rose by 6.66% to reach $100.25 per barrel, and Qatari Al-Shaheen crude also rose by the same percentage, amid a broad upward trend in Gulf crudes.

In contrast, the OPEC basket fell to $107.66 a barrel, a decrease of 4.10%, and the Indian basket dropped to $102.52 a barrel, a decrease of 8.85%.

Shafaq.com

The cabinet reshuffle opens a new crisis… The new government is caught between the dilemma of political balance and the points system.

Political activity is accelerating in Baghdad, amid a race against time to form the new cabinet. Negotiations have entered a complex phase among political forces seeking to secure their shares of sovereign and service-oriented ministries. As the deadline approaches, technical and political complications have surfaced, hindering the official announcement. Conflicting views persist regarding the mechanism for distributing ministerial spoils, around which power centers are concentrated. Meanwhile, the prime minister-designate and his supporting committees are attempting to decipher the complex “points system” and overcome the obstacle of rotation, which some parties reject while others insist upon it.

This has left the government formation process open to all possibilities in the coming hours. In this context, Mohammed Daham, a leader in the Azm Alliance, revealed the lack of a final agreement among political blocs regarding the mechanism for “rotating” major ministries. Daham explained to the Information Agency that “consultations have not yet led to common understandings regarding the ministries of Foreign Affairs, Finance, Education, and Higher Education, in addition to the service-oriented portfolios.”
He indicated that his alliance “submitted its list of candidates independently,” expecting that “Azm” would receive one sovereign ministry in addition to the Ministry of Culture, pinning hopes on a resolution in the coming hours if “a consensus formula is reached that guarantees political balance.”

On the other side, the situation within the Coordination Framework does not appear any easier, as numerical calculations have hindered the finalization of ministerial quotas.
Abeer al-Husseini, a member of the political bureau of the Hikma Movement, told Al-Maalouma that “technical disagreements still exist regarding the distribution of sovereign portfolios allocated to the framework’s components,” emphasizing that “the obstacle to a resolution lies in the mechanism for implementing the adopted points system.” She stressed that negotiations are seeking to overcome the overlapping ministerial demands to ensure that each bloc receives its due based on its electoral weight.

With the activity continuing in the corridors of power, the situation remains contingent on overcoming the points “veto” and distributing the sovereign spoils, while the public awaits the formation of a government capable of meeting the demands of the current stage, far removed from the power-sharing conflicts that continue to cast their shadow over the negotiating scene.

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