Iraq and Turkey Sign Oil Pipeline Deal Amid Hormuz Disruptions
Iraq and Turkey signed a deal to maintain oil exports through a pipeline to the Turkish Mediterranean port of Ceyhan (Reuters).
In a statement, Iraqi Oil Minister Bassem Mohammed Khudair al-Abadi said the agreement will remain in effect for one year while the two countries finalize a broader framework agreement covering cooperation in the oil, electricity, and water resources sectors (AP).
Houthis Attack Saudi Arabia From Iraq, Officials Say
The Houthis launched attacks on Saudi Arabia from Iraqi territory this week in coordination with Iraqi armed groups, according to Saudi Arabia and regional partners; the strikes targeted Saudi Arabia’s main oil hub (Reuters).
U.S.-Saudi Strikes Kill At Least Twenty
U.S. Central Command announced coordinated strikes with the Saudi Arabian Armed Forces against Iran-aligned terrorists that the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) directed to attack U.S. forces and Saudi energy infrastructure; the attacks against U.S. forces were unsuccessful (CENTCOM).
An anonymous U.S. official reported that the strikes killed about twenty Iranians, a combination of members of the IRGC and technical advisers; the strikes also marked Saudi Arabia’s entry into the U.S.-Iran war after six months (NYT).
Reported Israeli Military Base in Iraq
Unnamed sources, including U.S. officials, told the Wall Street Journal that Israel covertly operated a military base in Iraq during the early days of the Iran war; Israeli forces carried out strikes against Iraqi troops investigating unusual activity in the area and killed one Iraqi service member, prompting Iraq to file a complaint at the United Nations (WSJ)
U.S. Treasury Sanctions Leaders of Iran-Aligned Militias
The U.S. Treasury Department announced sanctions on three senior leaders of Iran-aligned Iraqi militias as well as Iraq’s deputy oil minister over alleged support for Iran (Treasury)
Iraq’s oil ministry denied the allegations and offered to cooperate with any probe; the deputy minister, whom Washington accused of diverting oil, did not immediately comment (Reuters)
Iraq Names New Prime Minister
Iraqi President Nizar Amedi named businessman Ali al-Zaidi the country’s new prime minister after months of post-election limbo; in November’s elections, a Shiite political bloc won most votes, but the United States rejected the nominee for prime minister because he was considered Iran-aligned and threatened to pull assistance if he were appointed (NYT)
U.S. Pauses Military Cooperation Programs, Dollar Shipments to Iraq
Unnamed U.S. and Iraqi officials told the Wall Street Journal that the United States has put military cooperation programs and U.S. dollar shipments to Iraq on hold in order to pressure Baghdad to dismantle Iran-backed militias in the country (WSJ)
Iraq’s central bank denied a shortage of U.S. dollars without mentioning any suspended shipments (Al Jazeera)
A State Department spokesperson recently said Iraq’s failure to prevent attacks by the militias was hurting the bilateral relationship (State)
Iranian Drones Strike Iraqi Kurdistan in Apparent Ceasefire Violation
Iranian attack drones targeted Iraq’s semiautonomous Kurdistan region, with two intercepted over Erbil and a third hitting a camp of Iranian Kurdish exile militants; the strike injured three fighters from Komala, an Iranian Kurdish group living in exile in Iraqi Kurdistan (NYT)
Bahrain Summons Iraq’s Charge d’Affaires
Bahrain summoned Iraq’s chargé d’affaires in Manama on Monday to formally object to what it described as repeated drone strikes originating from Iraqi soil targeting Bahrain and other Gulf Cooperation Council nation; Bahrain handed over an official protest letter, pressing Iraq to deal with the issue swiftly and responsibly, while warning that it retains the right to take whatever steps are needed to protect its national security (Reuters)
Saudi Arabia Summons Iraq’s Ambassador
Saudi Arabia summoned Iraq’s ambassador to protest drone strikes it said were being launched from Iraqi territory against the kingdom and other Gulf states, urging Baghdad to handle the threats responsibly (Reuters)
U.S. Summons Iraqi Ambassador After Drone Attack on Baghdad Diplomatic Site
The U.S. summoned Iraqi Ambassador Nizar Khirullah after a drone struck a major U.S. diplomatic facility in Baghdad, with Washington blaming Iran-aligned militias for multiple attacks near the diplomatic support center and airport; Deputy Secretary of State Christopher Landau acknowledged Iraq’s response but criticized its failure to prevent the attacks, urging Baghdad to dismantle Iran-backed militia groups (Reuters)
Islamic Resistance in Iraq Halts Operations Amid U.S.-Iran Ceasefire
The Islamic Resistance in Iraq, an umbrella group of Iran-backed armed factions, announced a two-week suspension of operations in Iraq and across the region; the move follows a broader halt in hostilities between the United States and Iran (Reuters)
Kataib Hezbollah Says It Will Release Shelly Kittleson
Kataib Hezbollah, an Iran-aligned Iraqi armed group, announced that it would release the abducted U.S. journalist, Shelly Kittleson; the group added that Kittleson must immediately leave Iraq (Reuters)
Iraq Secures Strait of Hormuz Access for Oil
Iraq notified its Asian purchasers and refiners that they can load Iraqi crude after it had secured Iran’s permission to transit the Strait of Hormuz (Bloomberg)
Three Workers Wounded in Drone Attack on North Rumaila Oilfield
Security and energy sources reported that two drones struck the North Rumaila oilfield in southern Iraq; the attack wounded three Iraqi workers (Reuters)
American Journalist Shelly Kittleson Kidnapped in Baghdad
Two police officials reported that Shelly Kittleson, a female American journalist, was kidnapped in Baghdad and that city authorities are searching for her (Reuters)
News site Al-Monitor identified Kittleson as one of their contributors (Al-Monitor)
A State Department official said someone with ties to Iranian-aligned Kataib Hezbollah was believed to be involved in the kidnapping (State)
Drone Attack Targets Home of President of Iraq’s Kurdistan Region
Security sources reported that a drone attack targeted the home of Nechirvan Barzani, President of Iraq’s Kurdistan region; Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani condemned the attack and ordered a joint federal and Kurdistan security and technical team to investigate the incident (Reuters)
Separately, Iraq’s defense ministry reported a drone crash in the Majnoon oilfield in Basra province; the drone did not explode and did not cause any damage or injuries (Reuters)
Iraq to Protest U.S. Strike on PMF Military Clinic
Iraq’s government said it will summon the senior U.S. diplomat in Baghdad and file a formal protest after an airstrike on a military clinic near Habbiniyah killed seven soldiers and wounded thirteen, condemning the incident as a “heinous” violation of sovereignty; Captain Tim Hawkins, a spokesman for U.S. Central Command, said the military was investigating the incident (WSJ)
The site belonged to the Popular Mobilization Forces, an umbrella group for militias, including Iran-backed brigades (NYT)
Meanwhile, the Islamic Resistance in Iraq conducted twenty-three attacks on U.S. bases in Iraq using drones and rockets (Anadolu Agency)
Airstrikes Hit PMF Headquarters in Anbar
Airstrikes hit the headquarters of the Popular Mobilization Forces, an umbrella group for Iran-backed Shi’ite militias, as well as a residence belonging to the group’s leader; at least fifteen fighters were killed, including PMF operations commander Saad al-Baiji, and another thirty were wounded (Reuters)
Rockets Launched From Rab’ia Toward Syria
Iraqi security sources say that at least seven rockets were fired from Rab’ia, a city west of Mosul, towards the U.S. Rmeilan base in Syria, marking the first cross-border attack targeting U.S. troops since the start of the Iran war; meanwhile, the Syrian army stated that one of its military bases near Hasaka had come under attack (Reuters)
NATO Withdraws All Personnel From Iraq
The North Atlantic Treaty Organization said it removed all its personnel from Iraq and transferred them to a NATO command center in Naples, Italy (WSJ)
The withdrawal comes as the U.S.-Israeli war against Iran has prompted retaliatory attacks against sites in Iraq (NYT)
Airstrikes Kill Two PMF Fighters in Northern Iraq
Airstrikes killed two Popular Mobilization Forces fighters and targeted positions in Nineveh and a military airport in Salah al-Din early Thursday amid broader regional conflict; the Iran-aligned paramilitary group condemned the strikes as part of escalating attacks across Iraq (Al Jazeera)
U.S. Embassy Struck in Missile Attack
Iraqi security sources stated that the U.S. Embassy in Baghdad was struck in a missile attack (Reuters)
The missile reportedly struck a helipad within the compound; no injuries were reported (Reuters;The Hill)
Six Killed in U.S. KC-135 Crash
The Islamic Resistance in Iraq, an umbrella group of Iran-backed armed factions, said it shot down a U.S. KC-135 military refueling aircraft in western Iraq on Thursday, claiming the attack was carried out to defend the country’s sovereignty and airspace (Reuters)
While the group claimed responsibility, U.S. Central Command stated that the incident was not caused by hostile or friendly fire (AP)
All six crew members of the aircraft were killed in the crash (WaPo)
Iran Claims Responsibility as Tanker Attacks Halt Iraqi Oil Operations
Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps claimed responsibility for setting two oil tankers ablaze off the Iraqi coast Thursday, saying one vessel had ignored warnings; Iraqi authorities suspended all oil terminal operations in response as the strikes deepened Middle East disruptions to the global energy supply (NYT)