To counter the “shipping halt,” Iraq is offering oil discounts of up to $33 per barrel.

Iraq has decided to lower oil prices for buyers who choose to pass through the Strait of Hormuz, coinciding with escalating tensions and continued disruption to energy supply chains to the global market.

Bloomberg reported that Iraq is offering discounts on official oil prices of up to $33.40 per barrel for Basra crude.

This comes according to a notice issued by the state oil marketing company SOMO on May 3, detailing price levels during different periods of this month.

Shafaq.com

Oil expert: Iraq needs to build external oil storage tanks instead of export pipelines

Oil expert Hamza al-Jawahiri said on Tuesday that Iraq needs to reconsider its oil export strategy by moving towards building oil storage facilities in consuming countries with a capacity of up to one billion barrels, instead of relying on extending export pipelines through neighboring countries.

Al-Jawahiri explained in an interview with Shafaq News Agency that “the oil pipeline option, despite its importance, faces significant political and security risks, most notably that Iraq as a country is still in a relatively weak position, which makes the pipelines vulnerable to seizure or shutdown in the event of political disputes with the countries through whose territories they pass,” citing “the possibility of projects such as the export pipeline through Saudi Arabia being exposed to such risks.”

He pointed out that “the investment cost of establishing export pipelines is extremely high, as it may reach about $27 billion, in addition to the high costs of continuous maintenance and operation, as well as the fees imposed by the countries hosting the pipeline routes, which may be very expensive in the long term.”

The oil expert pointed out that “some countries were demanding high fees for the passage of oil through their territories,” explaining that “Jordan, for example, was supposed to receive up to $10 for every barrel exported through Jordanian territory under previous proposed projects.”

Al-Jawahiri explained that “the option of establishing strategic storage facilities in consuming countries may give Iraq greater flexibility in exporting, reduce the risks of political or logistical disruptions, and enhance Iraq’s ability to manage its oil flows more stably in global markets.”

Shafaq.com

Al-Khanjar: Nechirvan Barzani’s visit to Baghdad will have a positive impact on the political scene.

On Tuesday, Khamis al-Khanjar, leader of the Sovereignty Alliance, announced that an understanding had been reached with Kurdistan Region President Nechirvan Barzani and Progress Party leader Mohammed al-Halbousi to end the disputes and open a new phase of political cooperation.

Al-Khanjar said in a statement, which was received by Shafaq News Agency, “I extend my sincere thanks to the two brothers, President of the Kurdistan Region, Nechirvan Barzani, and the head of the Progress Party, Mohammed al-Halbousi, for responding to our initiative to end the disputes, turn the page on the past, and move towards a new stage of cooperation, with a friendly and frank meeting, in a step that strengthens the brotherhood between us, supports national unity, and contributes to addressing all political problems and accelerating the formation of the new Iraqi government.”

He added: “We believe that what was achieved from the visit of the President of the Region, Nechirvan Barzani, to Baghdad yesterday will have a positive impact on the overall political landscape in Iraq.”

He continued: “Out of our national responsibility, we affirm that the next stage will witness positive steps that will open up broader horizons for cooperation between the various political forces, which will reflect positively on our people in the Kurdistan Region and in all our governorates, and will strengthen the path of stability and national unity.”

The Sunni National Political Council praised, on Monday evening, the balanced role of Kurdistan Region President Nechirvan Barzani in bringing the political blocs closer together.

This comes as part of a series of meetings that the President of the Kurdistan Region, Nechirvan Barzani, is holding in the capital, Baghdad, with political leaders.

Shafaq.com

Nechirvan Barzani: Baghdad is our “strategic depth” and our problems should be resolved there.

On Tuesday, Kurdistan Region President Nechirvan Barzani expressed optimism about the possibility of resolving the outstanding disputes and issues between Erbil and Baghdad, while revealing the reason for his failure to meet with Iraqi President Nizar Amidi during his visit to Baghdad.

This came in a press conference he held after meeting with the head of the Iraqi Supreme Judicial Council, Faiq Zaidan, in the capital, Baghdad.

President Nechirvan Barzani said during the press conference, which was attended by a correspondent from Shafaq News Agency, “In truth, there is a problem between the two main parties in the Kurdistan Region (the Kurdistan Democratic Party and the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan) that prevented the President of the Republic from meeting,” stressing that “we Kurds must find a framework to solve the problems between us, and this is what we are working on in the political council formed by the Presidency of the Region.”

He added, “We have the utmost respect and full appreciation for the President of the Republic, who is one of our Kurds, and we may not visit him during this tour, but in the future there will be a meeting between us after the existing problem between the two parties is resolved.”

Regarding addressing the disputes between Erbil and Baghdad, the President of the Kurdistan Region said, “We have seen a broad response from the Iraqi political parties in this regard. As a result, we live in Iraq, and all our problems should be resolved in Baghdad.” He added, “Baghdad is our capital, and it is our strategic depth. What we were unable to resolve in previous disputes must now be resolved here.”

For its part, the Presidency of the Region announced in a statement that President Nechirvan Barzani discussed during his meeting with Judge Zaidan the political and general situation in the country, where both sides stressed that the independence of the judiciary is a fundamental pillar for preserving the powers and institutions of the country, stability, and the constitutional rights and entitlements of all.

President Nechirvan Barzani highly valued the role of the head of the judiciary in preserving political stability and the country’s higher and national interests, and thanked him for his important role in resolving problems and creating understanding between the parties.

Both sides stressed the importance of the rule of law and working within the framework of the constitution as the only way to solve the country’s problems and preserve the legal rights and entitlements of all components and the federal and constitutional entity of the Kurdistan Region.

The meeting also focused on continuing and strengthening cooperation and coordination between federal judicial bodies and institutions and those in the Kurdistan Region, according to the statement.

Shafaq.com

The Federal Court registers the first lawsuit challenging the validity of Al-Zaidi’s appointment

On Tuesday, the Federal Supreme Court registered the first lawsuit challenging the validity of the nomination of Prime Minister candidate Ali al-Zidi, filed by former MP Raed al-Maliki in his capacity as “a citizen and independent politician”.

Al-Maliki said in a video he made today in front of the court headquarters that the lawsuit is based on four reasons: “The lack of some conditions for candidacy,” “The existence of a constitutional and legal impediment related to a conflict of interest,” “A flaw in the nomination procedures by not submitting the candidate from a parliamentary bloc but from a political alliance and with the signature of political leaders,” and “The nomination not being based on the will of the voter leads to abstention from the elections and opens the door to foreign interference, which has actually happened.”

He added that “the seriousness of the position of Prime Minister requires that it be managed with the mindset of a statesman who has practiced political and administrative work, and not with the mindset of a merchant,” stressing that “the constitution stipulated political experience, not relationships.”

It is noted that on Monday, April 27, 2026, the President of the Republic of Iraq, Nizar Amidi, tasked businessman Ali al-Zaidi with forming the new Iraqi government, after al-Zaidi was nominated by the Coordination Framework, succeeding Mohammed Shia al-Sudani.

Shafaq.com

United States: Iranian-backed militias are planning attacks inside Iraq

The U.S. Embassy in Baghdad warned on Tuesday that what it called “Iraqi terrorist militias allied with Iran” continue to plan attacks against American citizens and U.S.-related targets in Iraq, including the Kurdistan Region.

The embassy said in a security alert issued today that “Iraqi terrorist militias allied with Iran continue to plan additional attacks against U.S. citizens and U.S.-related targets throughout Iraq, including the Kurdistan Region of Iraq,” adding that “certain entities associated with the Iraqi government continue to provide political, financial, and operational cover for these terrorist militias.”

The embassy confirmed that the travel warning for Iraq remains at level four, “Do Not Travel,” urging American citizens “not to travel to Iraq for any reason” and to “leave immediately” if they are in the country.

She noted that Iraqi airspace had been reopened with limited commercial flights operating, while warning of ongoing risks in the airspace including missiles, drones and projectiles.

She indicated that the US mission in Iraq continues its work despite the mandatory departure order, to provide assistance to American citizens, and called for not going to the embassy in Baghdad or the consulate in Erbil due to security risks.

She also noted that all routine consular services, including visa services, remain suspended, while assistance for emergencies is being provided via email.

She explained that commercial flights are available from neighboring countries such as Jordan, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia and Turkey, in addition to land borders remaining open, with the need to adhere to travel guidelines and security alerts.

The embassy urged American citizens to take precautionary measures, including monitoring security updates, avoiding protest sites, maintaining emergency preparedness, and staying in constant contact with their families.

Shafaq.com

Border crossings: Customs revenues exceeding one trillion dinars were collected during the first four months of this year.

The head of the Border Ports Authority, Omar Al-Waeli, stated on Tuesday that customs revenues amounting to more than one trillion dinars were collected during the first four months of this year, while he expected that customs revenues this year would reach 3 trillion dinars. Al-Waeli told the official agency that “the Authority has taken it upon itself to find alternatives in case the sea ports or the eastern ports with Iran are closed,” explaining: “We have put in place an alternative plan for goods to enter Iraq.”

He added: “We were able to find alternatives through other outlets, namely Trebil, Arar and Safwan, to greatly increase import capacity, which led to price stability in the market, and no problems were recorded in the entry of goods,” noting that “the outlets have short, medium and long-term plans to deal with any challenges facing the country.” Al-Waeli continued: “The border outlets achieved an amount of two trillion dinars during the year 2024 and two trillion and 500 billion dinars during the year 2025, and during the first four months of this year we exceeded the one trillion dinar mark,” indicating that “the data indicates achieving three trillion by the end of this year.”

He also explained that “the ports have an upward trend in the amounts collected during the years 2024, 2025 and 2026,” stressing that “the ports are working hard to maximize non-oil revenues.

Burathanews.com

An “incomplete” government… Political maneuvering to select deputies for al-Zaydi as a “compensation”

Political sources revealed on Monday that there is intense political activity between the political forces and the technical and political committee of the coordination framework, with the aim of selecting the deputies of the new Iraqi government in a way that achieves “balance,” while on the other hand it was indicated that the government formation will be presented “incomplete” next week.

A source within the coordination framework told Shafaq News Agency that “political activity behind the scenes of the parties and the committee concerned with evaluating ministerial candidates and distributing positions is escalating to select three to four deputies for the new Prime Minister, some of whom will be (appeasement).”

He added, “One of the candidates, Mohsen al-Mandalawi, is supported by the State of Law Coalition, along with the leader of the Azm Alliance, Muthanna al-Samarrai, representing the Sunni component, in addition to the caretaker Foreign Minister, Fuad Hussein, representing the Democratic Party, and it is likely that a fourth candidate will be added.”

For his part, a source in the Sunni political coalition confirmed to Shafaq News Agency that most political forces and parties have submitted their candidates for ministries and independent bodies.

He noted that Al-Zaydi’s team and the technical framework committee are studying and evaluating the candidates.

In addition, the sources did not rule out that Al-Zidi would present his cabinet in an incomplete form, and that it would exceed half of the cabinet, due to the continuation of political disputes within the same components and with the other different components, regarding some important sovereign and service ministries.

On Monday, MP Mohammed Al-Shammari, from the parliamentary services bloc, revealed new details regarding the date for submitting the ministerial cabinet of the new government and the mechanism for deciding on it within the House of Representatives.

Al-Shammari told Shafaq News Agency that Prime Minister-designate Ali al-Zaidi has enough time constitutionally to finalize his government formation and present it to the House of Representatives within the specified period.

He added that “Al-Zidi informed the leaders of the Coordination Framework of his intention to present the ministerial cabinet on the 9th of this month,” noting that “the House of Representatives will hold a session during the next week to vote on granting confidence to the new government.”

According to the MP, the number of ministries in the next government will be 22 portfolios, distributed as follows: 12 ministries for the Coordination Framework forces, 6 ministries for the Sunni blocs, and 4 ministries for the Kurdish parties.

It is worth noting that a political source revealed to Shafaq News Agency a few days ago that the Ministry of Higher Education will be allocated to the Progress Party (which obtained the position of Speaker of Parliament) led by Mohammed al-Halbousi, which holds 27 seats as a major party, while the Azm Alliance, led by Muthanna al-Samarrai, which holds 15 seats, will receive the Ministry of Defense.

Last week, the ruling Shiite coalition forces in Iraq announced the nomination of Ali al-Zidi for the premiership, after al-Sudani and al-Maliki withdrew from the race for the position, in a move that opened the door to a new settlement within the Shiite bloc after weeks of political deadlock over the shape of the next government and the distribution of its sovereign and service positions.

Shafaq.com

Iraqi Parliament: Voting on the new cabinet will take place next week

The Iraqi parliament announced on Monday that the vote on the new government will take place next week, and that the names and the government program will be received by the end of this week.

The media office of the council said in a statement received by Shafaq News Agency that “the House of Representatives held its session today, chaired by Hebat al-Halbousi and attended by 217 members.”

She added, “At the beginning of the session, Al-Halbousi noted that the House of Representatives will receive the government program at the end of this week from Ali Al-Zidi, who is tasked with forming the new government, so that the members of the council can review it and study it through the Strategic Planning and Government Program Committees, pointing out that the names of the ministerial cabinet will be presented next week for a vote by the House of Representatives.”

On Monday, MP Mohammed Al-Shammari, from the parliamentary services bloc, revealed new details regarding the date for submitting the ministerial cabinet of the new government and the mechanism for deciding on it within the House of Representatives .

Al-Shammari told Shafaq News Agency that Prime Minister-designate Ali al-Zaidi has enough time constitutionally to finalize his government formation and present it to the House of Representatives within the specified period .

He added that “Al-Zidi informed the leaders of the Coordination Framework of his intention to present the ministerial cabinet on the 9th of this month,” noting that “the House of Representatives will hold a session during the next week to vote on granting confidence to the new government .”

According to the MP, the number of ministries in the next government will be 22 portfolios, distributed as follows: 12 ministries for the Coordination Framework forces, 6 ministries for the Sunni blocs, and 4 ministries for the Kurdish parties .

It is worth noting that a political source revealed to Shafaq News Agency a few days ago that the Ministry of Higher Education will be allocated to the Progress Party (which obtained the position of Speaker of Parliament) led by Mohammed al-Halbousi, which holds 27 seats as a major party, while the Azm Alliance, led by Muthanna al-Samarrai, which holds 15 seats, will obtain the Ministry of Defense .

Last week, the ruling Shiite coalition forces in Iraq announced the nomination of Ali al-Zidi for the premiership, after al-Sudani and al-Maliki withdrew from the race for the position, in a move that opened the door to a new settlement within the Shiite bloc after weeks of political deadlock over the shape of the next government and the distribution of its sovereign and service positions.

Shafaq.com

A deputy reveals the share of the Sudanese coalition in the Al-Zidi government.

On Monday, MP Ahmed Al-Dalfi, from the Reconstruction and Development Coalition, revealed the coalition’s share in the upcoming cabinet, stating that the ministries of oil, labor and social affairs, and industry and minerals would be allocated to them.

Al-Dalfi told Shafaq News Agency that “the Reconstruction and Development Coalition will receive 5 ministerial portfolios in the new government, including the ministries of oil, labor and social affairs, and industry and minerals,” indicating that “the other ministries are currently being negotiated to secure them for the coalition.”

Al-Dalfi added that “the head of the coalition, Muhammad Shia al-Sudani, will remain a political leader and head of the Reconstruction and Development Coalition, and will not be a minister in the next government.”

It is noted that the number of ministries in the next government will be 22 portfolios, distributed as follows: 12 ministries for the Coordination Framework forces, 6 ministries for the Sunni blocs, and 4 ministries for the Kurdish parties.

It is worth noting that a political source revealed to Shafaq News Agency a few days ago that the Ministry of Higher Education will be allocated to the Progress Party (which obtained the position of Speaker of Parliament) led by Mohammed al-Halbousi, which holds 27 seats as a major party, while the Azm Alliance, led by Muthanna al-Samarrai, which holds 15 seats, will receive the Ministry of Defense.

Sources also indicated that al-Zaydi will meet with Sunni leaders, including al-Halbousi, because the latter raised the bar for his party’s demands in the government cabinet, which sparked controversy behind the scenes of the political forces, especially with the Sunni ministries file entering the stage of direct negotiation.

Last week, the ruling Shiite coalition forces in Iraq announced the nomination of Ali al-Zidi for the premiership, after al-Sudani and al-Maliki withdrew from the race for the position, in a move that opened the door to a new settlement within the Shiite bloc after weeks of political deadlock over the shape of the next government and the distribution of its sovereign and service positions.

Shafaq.com